Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Up 161.0% in September

Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF) saw a large increase in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 46,943 shares, an increase of 161.0% from the September 15th total of 17,985 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 42,567 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days. Currently, 0.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Mfs Govt Mkts Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE MGF traded down $0.02 during trading on Monday, reaching $13.63. 4,562 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 16,393. Mfs Govt Mkts has a 12-month low of $13.20 and a 12-month high of $15.65. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $13.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.23.

Mfs Govt Mkts Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be given a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 23rd. This is a boost from Mfs Govt Mkts’s previous monthly dividend of $0.10.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mfs Govt Mkts

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MGF. 1607 Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Mfs Govt Mkts by 5.0% during the second quarter. 1607 Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,392,698 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,867,000 after buying an additional 113,961 shares during the period. Rivernorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Mfs Govt Mkts in the first quarter worth approximately $257,000. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Mfs Govt Mkts by 606.8% during the second quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 75,970 shares of the company’s stock worth $218,000 after buying an additional 65,222 shares during the period. TrueMark Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Mfs Govt Mkts during the first quarter worth $178,000. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its holdings in Mfs Govt Mkts by 3.6% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,425,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,191,000 after buying an additional 49,552 shares during the period. 54.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Mfs Govt Mkts

MFS Government Markets Income Trust (NYSE: MGF) is a closed-end investment fund managed by MFS Investment Management. The fund seeks to provide current income by investing primarily in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies and instrumentalities, as well as other government-related fixed-income investments.

The portfolio may include U.S. Treasury securities, mortgage-related securities issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored entities, and other debt instruments considered consistent with the fund’s investment objective.