Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. (NYSE:ZTR) Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell sharply—down 81.8% to 19,060 shares as of April 15, leaving ~0.0% of shares sold short and a short-interest ratio of just 0.1 days.
• The fund announced a monthly dividend of $0.05 payable May 28 to holders of record on May 11, implying an annualized yield of about 8.8%.
• About 47.14% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors, with notable positions including Guggenheim Capital’s 1,246,096 shares and several recent stake changes.

Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. (NYSE:ZTR - Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 19,060 shares, a decrease of 81.8% from the March 31st total of 104,838 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 173,451 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Virtus Total Return Fund

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bayban purchased a new stake in shares of Virtus Total Return Fund in the fourth quarter worth $65,000. Readystate Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Virtus Total Return Fund by 8.0% in the fourth quarter. Readystate Asset Management LP now owns 28,873 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $182,000 after acquiring an additional 2,136 shares during the last quarter. Oxford Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Virtus Total Return Fund in the fourth quarter worth $415,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Virtus Total Return Fund by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 1,246,096 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $7,850,000 after acquiring an additional 24,583 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of Virtus Total Return Fund by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 71,428 shares of the investment management company's stock worth $450,000 after acquiring an additional 4,627 shares during the last quarter. 47.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Virtus Total Return Fund Price Performance

ZTR stock traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $6.82. The stock had a trading volume of 125,634 shares, compared to its average volume of 167,632. The business has a 50-day moving average of $6.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.57. Virtus Total Return Fund has a 52-week low of $5.92 and a 52-week high of $7.11.

Virtus Total Return Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th.

Virtus Total Return Fund Company Profile

Virtus Total Return Fund, Inc NYSE: ZTR is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide investors with high total return with moderate income. The fund, which began operations in 2005, trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is sponsored by Virtus Investment Partners. ZTR offers investors access to a diversified mix of fixed-income and equity opportunities within a single vehicle.

To pursue its stated objective, the fund typically allocates across a broad range of asset classes, including corporate debt securities, high-yield bonds, convertible securities, preferred stocks, common stocks and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

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