John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS) Stock Short Interest Report for September

Key Points

• Short interest surged 229.7% in September to 38,045 shares, representing approximately 0.3% of JHS’s shares outstanding and a days-to-cover ratio of 4.5.
• Several institutional investors increased their holdings, including Susquehanna International Group, which raised its position by 79.5%, and Petra Financial Advisors, which increased its stake by 34.2%.
• JHS shares rose 0.4% to $10.16, while the trust increased its quarterly dividend to $0.1546 per share, implying an annualized dividend of $0.62 and a 6.1% yield.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 38,045 shares, an increase of 229.7% from the September 15th total of 11,539 shares. Approximately 0.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 8,549 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Hancock Income Securities Trust

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JHS. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 211,766 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,335,000 after acquiring an additional 7,715 shares during the last quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC raised its position in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 4.0% during the first quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC now owns 200,843 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,197,000 after acquiring an additional 7,788 shares during the last quarter. Petra Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 34.2% during the first quarter. Petra Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 25,657 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $281,000 after acquiring an additional 6,532 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP raised its position in John Hancock Income Securities Trust by 79.5% during the second quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 18,052 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $199,000 after acquiring an additional 7,996 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new stake in shares of John Hancock Income Securities Trust in the first quarter valued at about $27,000.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Stock Up 0.4%

John Hancock Income Securities Trust stock traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $10.16. The stock had a trading volume of 5,327 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,632. John Hancock Income Securities Trust has a 1-year low of $10.03 and a 1-year high of $12.08. The stock's fifty day moving average is $10.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.92.

John Hancock Income Securities Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th were paid a dividend of $0.1546 per share. This is a boost from John Hancock Income Securities Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.1535. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th. This represents a $0.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%.

About John Hancock Income Securities Trust

John Hancock Income Securities Trust NYSE: JHS is a closed-end investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income, with capital appreciation as a secondary objective. The trust is part of the John Hancock family of investment products and is managed by John Hancock Investment Management, an asset-management business of Manulife Investment Management.

The trust invests primarily in income-producing debt securities. Its portfolio may include corporate bonds, government and agency obligations, mortgage-related securities, and other fixed-income instruments, including securities rated below investment grade.

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