Short Interest in Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF) Grows By 70.7%

Key Points

• Short interest in MFS Government Markets (NYSE: MGF) surged by 70.7% to 77,681 shares as of April 15, equal to about 0.2% of the stock and a 1.1 days-to-cover ratio based on average volume.
• Institutional and hedge-fund activity rose, with firms like Cetera (+44.8%) and Csenge (+51.8%) increasing stakes and new positions added by TMB, Mercer and Commonwealth, leaving 54.77% of the stock owned by institutions.
• Shares traded near $2.91 (close to the 12-month low) and the fund declared a monthly dividend of $0.0188 per share (annualized yield ~7.8%), payable April 30 with an ex-dividend date of April 14.

Mfs Govt Mkts (NYSE:MGF - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 77,681 shares, an increase of 70.7% from the March 31st total of 45,520 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 72,091 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days. Approximately 0.2% of the company's stock are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mfs Govt Mkts

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in Mfs Govt Mkts by 44.8% in the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,950 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 4,624 shares during the period. TMB Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Mfs Govt Mkts during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new stake in Mfs Govt Mkts during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mfs Govt Mkts in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Csenge Advisory Group increased its stake in shares of Mfs Govt Mkts by 51.8% in the fourth quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 31,322 shares of the company's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 10,694 shares during the period. 54.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mfs Govt Mkts Stock Performance

Shares of Mfs Govt Mkts stock traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $2.91. The company had a trading volume of 14,958 shares, compared to its average volume of 76,370. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3.02. Mfs Govt Mkts has a 12-month low of $2.89 and a 12-month high of $3.15.

Mfs Govt Mkts Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.0188 per share. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 14th.

About Mfs Govt Mkts

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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