John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ)’s share price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $10.67 and traded as high as $10.88. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund shares last traded at $10.77, with a volume of 36,435 shares trading hands.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $10.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.67.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 11th will be issued 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, December 11th.

Institutional Trading of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. 1607 Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 43.0% in the 1st quarter. 1607 Capital Partners LLC now owns 143,675 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $1,494,000 after buying an additional 43,173 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position 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 period. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the third quarter valued at $283,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 46.1% during the third quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 79,920 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $851,000 after acquiring an additional 25,226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 42.0% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 82,618 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $874,000 after purchasing an additional 24,431 shares during the period.

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.