John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 16th, 2026

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ – Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totaling 5,715 shares, a drop of 40.3% from the June 15th total of 9,579 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 38,347 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the fourth quarter worth $144,000. &PARTNERS purchased a new position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $174,000. Verition Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 37.7% during the 4th quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 36,559 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $393,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 34.5% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 43,983 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $473,000 after buying an additional 11,284 shares during the period. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the second quarter valued at about $168,000.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

HEQ traded up $0.01 during trading on Thursday, reaching $11.54. The stock had a trading volume of 23,240 shares, compared to its average volume of 44,444. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 1-year low of $10.36 and a 1-year high of $11.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $11.26.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 11th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.7%.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of income coupled with the potential for capital appreciation. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the fund is managed by John Hancock Investment Management, a subsidiary of Manulife Financial. The fund’s investment objective emphasizes total return, balancing dividend and option premium income with equity market participation.

The fund pursues its goal by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of U.S.