Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (NYSE:HIX) Announces $0.05 Monthly Dividend

Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (NYSE:HIX) declared a monthly dividend on Monday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be given a dividend of 0.049 per share by the closed-end fund on Thursday, April 30th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 14.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 23rd.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Stock Performance

Western Asset High Income Fund II stock traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $4.17. 223,381 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 322,817. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.24. Western Asset High Income Fund II has a 12-month low of $3.65 and a 12-month high of $4.42.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Asset High Income Fund II

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HIX. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Western Asset High Income Fund II by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,906,673 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $16,252,000 after buying an additional 276,280 shares in the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 0.3% during the third quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 2,476,447 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $10,772,000 after acquiring an additional 6,949 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 1.3% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 962,436 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $4,187,000 after acquiring an additional 12,373 shares in the last quarter. GraniteShares Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Western Asset High Income Fund II in the fourth quarter valued at $2,762,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Western Asset High Income Fund II by 23.2% during the 4th quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 573,337 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $2,385,000 after purchasing an additional 108,088 shares in the last quarter.

About Western Asset High Income Fund II

Western Asset High Income Fund II (NYSE: HIX) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide high current income by investing primarily in below-investment-grade debt instruments. The fund pursues a diversified portfolio of high-yield corporate bonds, senior loans, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and emerging-market debt, aiming to generate attractive yield while managing credit and interest rate risk.

The fund may employ leverage through borrowings and the issuance of preferred shares to enhance its income potential.