John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE:HPF) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Posted by Brian Himes on Sep 27th, 2026

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE:HPF – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 52,131 shares, a drop of 65.0% from the August 31st total of 148,734 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 72,620 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days.

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of HPF stock traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $13.80. The stock had a trading volume of 71,941 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,498. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II has a one year low of $13.44 and a one year high of $17.13. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $15.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.67.

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.1235 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th.

Institutional Trading of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HPF. Arlington Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II during the second quarter valued at $255,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 2nd quarter worth $384,000. Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 1st quarter worth about $66,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 69,444 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,084,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares during the last quarter.

About John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II

(Get Free Report)

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE: HPF) is a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management. The fund seeks to provide investors with a high level of current income, with capital appreciation as a secondary objective.

The fund invests primarily in preferred securities issued by corporations and financial institutions. Its portfolio may also include other income-producing investments, such as corporate debt securities and securities issued by government-related entities.