Short Interest in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) Decreases By 21.8%

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) saw a large drop in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 22,900 shares, a drop of 21.8% from the February 13th total of 29,300 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 124,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PDT traded up $0.11 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $12.95. The stock had a trading volume of 108,237 shares, compared to its average volume of 113,241. John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund has a 12 month low of $10.65 and a 12 month high of $13.55. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.92.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a $0.0825 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PDT. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 112.3% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,923 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,017 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund during the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new stake in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund during the 4th quarter valued at $113,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund during the 4th quarter valued at $146,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 11.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,903 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $177,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. 12.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors, with an emphasis on the utilities sector.