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

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the target of a significant 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 volume of 44,655 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 44,655 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Price Performance

Shares of HEQ stock traded up $0.02 on Thursday, reaching $11.37. 44,660 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 47,743. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.77. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 52 week low of $9.23 and a 52 week high of $11.40.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.8%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HEQ. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.7% during 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 purchasing an additional 30,102 shares in the last quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 9.9% in the third quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 247,175 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $2,632,000 after acquiring an additional 22,211 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 3.3% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 138,049 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,470,000 after acquiring an additional 4,356 shares during the period. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 22.6% during the 4th quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 97,987 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,053,000 after acquiring an additional 18,067 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 89,370 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $952,000 after purchasing an additional 22,832 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.