John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Short Interest Up 148.6% in March

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,900 shares, an increase of 148.6% from the March 15th total of 7,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 29,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

Shares of HEQ traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $9.89. 27,575 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 30,533. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $10.34 and its 200-day moving average is $10.57. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 52 week low of $9.23 and a 52 week high of $11.12.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.11%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 14,859 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 1,632 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 17,357 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $177,000 after acquiring an additional 1,982 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 82,710 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $844,000 after purchasing an additional 8,088 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 254,824 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $2,602,000 after purchasing an additional 16,414 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 149,241 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,524,000 after purchasing an additional 18,066 shares during the last quarter.

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.