First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (NASDAQ:FDT) Short Interest Up 270.7% in August

Key Points

• In August, short interest in the First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) surged by 270.7%, rising from 36,500 to 135,300 shares.
• The fund recently increased its quarterly dividend significantly to $0.976, up from $0.11, resulting in a 5.2% dividend yield.
• Institutional investors have shown increased interest, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. raising its stake by 352.3% during the second quarter.

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (NASDAQ:FDT - ) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 135,300 shares, a growth of 270.7% from the August 15th total of 36,500 shares. Approximately 1.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 44,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 44,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.1 days. Approximately 1.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund by 352.3% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 588 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund by 55.5% during the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,034 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in shares of First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at $64,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new position in First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund in the first quarter worth about $86,000. Finally, Hilltop National Bank bought a new stake in First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund during the second quarter valued at approximately $100,000.

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund Price Performance

NASDAQ FDT traded down $0.62 on Friday, reaching $75.16. 12,704 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 39,362. First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund has a 12 month low of $51.33 and a 12 month high of $75.83. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.27. The stock has a market cap of $596.77 million, a PE ratio of 9.95 and a beta of 0.96.

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 26th were issued a $0.976 dividend. This is an increase from First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund's previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. This represents a $3.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 26th.

First Trust Developed Markets ex-US AlphaDEX Fund Company Profile

The First Trust Developed Markets Ex-US AlphaDEX Fund (FDT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NASDAQ AlphaDEX DM Ex-US index. The fund tracks an index of international, developed-market stocks, selected by growth and value factors and equal-weighted in tiers. FDT was launched on Apr 18, 2011 and is managed by First Trust.

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