Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (NYSE:HIX) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc. (NYSE:HIX) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 151,006 shares, an increase of 30.4% from the March 15th total of 115,829 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 329,214 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Trading Up 1.6%

HIX traded up $0.07 on Friday, reaching $4.10. The company had a trading volume of 269,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 332,663. Western Asset High Income Fund II has a 52-week low of $3.75 and a 52-week high of $4.40. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $4.15.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.049 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 14.4%.

Institutional Trading of Western Asset High Income Fund II

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HIX. NWF Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 69.6% during the third quarter. NWF Advisory Services Inc. now owns 417,800 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $1,817,000 after buying an additional 171,500 shares during the period. Calamos Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Western Asset High Income Fund II by 21.7% during the third quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 89,913 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $391,000 after acquiring an additional 16,055 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 26.3% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 39,054 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $162,000 after buying an additional 8,127 shares during the last quarter. Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC increased its holdings in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. Integrity Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 20,850 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $87,000 after acquiring an additional 3,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 60,686 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $252,000 after buying an additional 2,718 shares in the last quarter.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Company Profile

Western Asset High Income Fund II (NYSE: HIX) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide high current income by investing primarily in below-investment-grade debt instruments. The fund pursues a diversified portfolio of high-yield corporate bonds, senior loans, mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and emerging-market debt, aiming to generate attractive yield while managing credit and interest rate risk.

The fund may employ leverage through borrowings and the issuance of preferred shares to enhance its income potential.