Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF) Short Interest Up 137.3% in June

Key Points

• Short interest in Mfs Govt Mkts surged 137.3% in June, rising to 33,094 shares by June 30 from 13,947 shares two weeks earlier. Despite the jump, only about 0.1% of shares were shorted.
• The stock edged down slightly to $2.85, near its 52-week low of $2.80 and below its 200-day moving average of $2.94. Trading volume was also far below average.
• The fund announced a monthly dividend of $0.02 per share payable July 31, with an 8.4% annualized yield. The company focuses on U.S. government and government-related debt securities.

Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totaling 33,094 shares, an increase of 137.3% from the June 15th total of 13,947 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 142,149 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Mfs Govt Mkts

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. TMB Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Mfs Govt Mkts in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in Mfs Govt Mkts during the third quarter worth $32,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new stake in Mfs Govt Mkts in the 3rd quarter valued at $49,000. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in Mfs Govt Mkts by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,287,332 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,016,000 after buying an additional 55,894 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Mfs Govt Mkts by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 1,362,236 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,121,000 after buying an additional 57,180 shares in the last quarter. 54.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mfs Govt Mkts Stock Down 0.3%

MGF stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $2.85. 621 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 89,826. Mfs Govt Mkts has a twelve month low of $2.80 and a twelve month high of $3.14. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.94.

Mfs Govt Mkts Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.4%. This is an increase from Mfs Govt Mkts's previous monthly dividend of $0.02.

Mfs Govt Mkts Company Profile

MFS Government Markets Fund NYSE: MGF is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide current income consistent with preservation of capital and liquidity by investing primarily in U.S. government and government-related debt securities. The fund's portfolio typically consists of U.S. Treasury obligations, agency securities and repurchase agreements collateralized by government-backed instruments. By concentrating on high-quality, sovereign-issued fixed income, MGF aims to offer investors relatively stable returns while minimizing exposure to credit risk.

The fund employs a disciplined, yield-curve-aware approach, blending short-term and intermediate-term maturities to balance income generation with interest-rate sensitivity.

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