Sprott Focus Trust (NASDAQ:FUND) Stock Price Breaks Below 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Sprott Focus Trust fell below its 200-day moving average, dipping to $9.75 and last trading at $9.92 versus a 200-day average of $9.94.
• The trust raised its quarterly dividend to $0.1503 per share, equivalent to about $0.60 annually and a 6.1% yield.
• Portfolio Manager Whitney George bought 122,111 shares at an average price of $10.05, increasing his ownership by 3.75%.

Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ:FUND - Get Free Report) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $9.94 and traded as low as $9.75. Sprott Focus Trust shares last traded at $9.92, with a volume of 36,792 shares trading hands.

Sprott Focus Trust Stock Down 1.6%

The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $10.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.94.

Sprott Focus Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.1503 dividend. This is an increase from Sprott Focus Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.1424. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sprott Focus Trust

In other news, Portfolio Manager Whitney George purchased 122,111 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $10.05 per share, for a total transaction of $1,227,215.55. Following the acquisition, the portfolio manager directly owned 3,375,936 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,928,156.80. This represents a 3.75% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 54.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Sprott Focus Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FUND. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC acquired a new position in Sprott Focus Trust in the third quarter valued at about $108,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sprott Focus Trust by 2.3% during the third quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 243,279 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,357,000 after acquiring an additional 5,444 shares during the last quarter. Readystate Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Sprott Focus Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $134,000. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Sprott Focus Trust by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 45,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,158,000 after acquiring an additional 3,244 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Sprott Focus Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $170,000. 12.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sprott Focus Trust Company Profile

Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company listed on Nasdaq under the symbol FUND. Its investment objective is long-term capital appreciation. Rather than operating as a conventional business, the trust pools investor capital and invests it in a portfolio of publicly traded securities. The trust generally follows a focused, value-oriented investment approach and may invest across industries and geographic regions. Its portfolio can include common stocks and other equity-related securities of companies in the United States, Canada and other international markets.

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