Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund, Inc. (NYSE:JOF) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest plunged 50.1% — short interest fell to 9,687 shares as of March 13 (from 19,394 on Feb 26), leaving effectively 0.0% of shares sold short and a days-to-cover ratio of about 0.1 days.
• Several institutional investors increased holdings recently, with Allspring Global owning 5,487,892 shares and Lazard holding 2,320,298 shares, reflecting notable inflows from asset managers.
• The fund announced a monthly dividend of $0.0887 per share payable June 30 (record June 15), implying a 10.0% annualized dividend yield.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund, Inc. (NYSE:JOF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 9,687 shares, a drop of 50.1% from the February 26th total of 19,394 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 110,552 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JOF. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund by 144.7% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,138 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 3,038 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,320,298 shares of the company's stock worth $22,367,000 after buying an additional 19,460 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 5,487,892 shares of the company's stock valued at $57,842,000 after buying an additional 454,000 shares in the last quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 73,306 shares of the company's stock valued at $773,000 after buying an additional 15,360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Triasima Portfolio Management inc. grew its position in Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund by 32.8% in the third quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. now owns 15,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 3,900 shares during the period.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Stock Down 1.8%

JOF traded down $0.20 during trading on Thursday, reaching $10.61. 73,211 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 115,419. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $11.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.95. Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund has a fifty-two week low of $7.43 and a fifty-two week high of $12.76.

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.0887 per share. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 10.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th.

About Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund

Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund, Inc NYSE: JOF is a U.S.-listed closed-end investment company dedicated to long-term capital appreciation through exposure to Japan's smaller capitalization equities. The fund seeks to identify and invest in firms whose market valuations and growth prospects may be overlooked by broader market indices, offering investors differentiated access to Japan's domestic growth opportunities.

The portfolio typically comprises equity securities of companies traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and other recognized Japanese markets, with a focus on firms outside the large-cap segment.

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