John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS) Short Interest Up 260.9% in July

Key Points

• John Hancock Income Securities Trust's short interest surged by 260.9% in July, rising from 2,300 to 8,300 shares, reflecting increased bearish sentiment among investors.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.1435 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $0.57 and a yield of 4.9%.
• Institutional investors, including LPL Financial and Raymond James Financial, have recently adjusted their positions in the trust, indicating growing interest in its stock.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS - ) saw a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 8,300 shares, agrowthof260.9% from the July 15th total of 2,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 13,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days. Currently,0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Currently,0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 13,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Price Performance

Shares of JHS stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $11.61. The stock had a trading volume of 12,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,854. The stock's 50 day moving average is $11.27 and its 200 day moving average is $11.23. John Hancock Income Securities Trust has a twelve month low of $10.62 and a twelve month high of $11.87.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 12th were paid a dividend of $0.1435 per share. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.9%. This is a positive change from John Hancock Income Securities Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Hancock Income Securities Trust

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JHS. LPL Financial LLC raised its stake in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 35,139 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $217,000. Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 18.8% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 26,290 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $294,000 after purchasing an additional 4,160 shares during the last quarter. Noble Wealth Management PBC acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust during the first quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Riverbridge Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 12.4% during the first quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC now owns 93,047 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,055,000 after purchasing an additional 10,239 shares during the period.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Company Profile

John Hancock Income Securities Trust is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of United States. It invests primarily in corporate and government bonds with average maturity of 7.57 years.

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