Royce Small-Cap Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RVT) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest surged 87.4% to 239,578 shares as of July 15, up from 127,876 shares on June 30. Shorted shares represent 0.2% of RVT’s outstanding stock, with a short-interest ratio of 0.7 days.
• RVT opened at $17.87, compared with a 52-week range of $14.78 to $18.88. Its 50-day and 200-day moving averages were $18.13 and $17.82, respectively.
• The trust raised its quarterly dividend to $0.31 per share from $0.30, implying an annualized payout of $1.24 and a 6.9% yield. Institutional investors own 25.57% of the company’s stock.

Royce Small-Cap Trust, Inc. (NYSE:RVT - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 239,578 shares, an increase of 87.4% from the June 30th total of 127,876 shares. Currently, 0.2% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 359,813 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Royce Small-Cap Trust Stock Performance

Royce Small-Cap Trust stock opened at $17.87 on Thursday. Royce Small-Cap Trust has a 1-year low of $14.78 and a 1-year high of $18.88. The stock's fifty day moving average is $18.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.82.

Royce Small-Cap Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.9%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 11th. This is an increase from Royce Small-Cap Trust's previous quarterly dividend of $0.30.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Royce Small-Cap Trust

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Royce Small-Cap Trust by 5.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 53,335 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $759,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Royce Small-Cap Trust during the first quarter worth approximately $186,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of Royce Small-Cap Trust by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 36,282 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 2,494 shares during the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Royce Small-Cap Trust during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $775,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Royce Small-Cap Trust by 69.8% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 24,801 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 10,193 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 25.57% of the company's stock.

About Royce Small-Cap Trust

Royce Small-Cap Trust NYSE: RVT is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide investors with long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in the common stocks of small-capitalization companies. The trust is structured to trade on the New York Stock Exchange, offering shares that represent an undivided interest in a diversified portfolio of U.S. small-cap equities. As a closed-end vehicle, the fund may employ leverage to enhance returns and reinvest dividends to support growth over time.

The trust’s investment strategy is driven by fundamental, bottom-up research, focusing on companies with market capitalizations typically falling within the small-cap spectrum.

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