John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 77.2% as of April 15 to 7,718 shares (about 0.1% of shares outstanding), leaving a short-interest ratio of roughly 1.0 days based on average volume.
• Several institutions raised or initiated stakes in JHS, notably Baird (+23.9% to 60,103 shares) and Allspring (holding 1,489,005 shares), with Hennion & Walsh, Fiera and Prestige also adding positions.
• The trust recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.1377 (annualized $0.55), implying a 4.9% yield, while the stock traded up 0.8% to $11.25 and sits in a 12‑month range of $10.74–$12.09.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,718 shares, a growth of 77.2% from the March 31st total of 4,356 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 8,017 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.0 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Income Securities Trust

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JHS. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 23.9% in the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 60,103 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $678,000 after acquiring an additional 11,587 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,489,005 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $17,384,000 after acquiring an additional 16,747 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 7.1% in the third quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 186,299 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,175,000 after purchasing an additional 12,407 shares in the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 16.1% in the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 78,037 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $911,000 after purchasing an additional 10,836 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust during the third quarter valued at $42,000.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of JHS stock traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $11.25. The stock had a trading volume of 1,561 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,051. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.51. John Hancock Income Securities Trust has a twelve month low of $10.74 and a twelve month high of $12.09.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were paid a $0.1377 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.55 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.9%.

About John Hancock Income Securities Trust

John Hancock Income Securities Trust NYSE: JHS is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with high current income while preserving capital. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange since its launch in the late 1970s, the trust offers investors access to a broad portfolio of fixed-income securities under a professional management structure.

The fund's primary investment activities include purchasing U.S. government and agency obligations, investment-grade corporate debt, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, preferred stocks, and selected foreign debt instruments.

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