John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) Short Interest Down 76.7% in October

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,700 shares, a decline of 76.7% from the September 30th total of 54,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 104,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Price Performance

Shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund stock traded down $0.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $13.11. The company's stock had a trading volume of 67,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 117,805. John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund has a 52-week low of $9.31 and a 52-week high of $13.55. The firm's 50-day moving average is $13.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.16.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 11th will be paid a $0.0825 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 11th. This represents a $0.99 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.55%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 17,921 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 1,221 shares during the last quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 11.0% in the 2nd quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 484,495 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $5,707,000 after purchasing an additional 48,169 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 120,791 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,423,000 after purchasing an additional 2,041 shares in the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 56,845 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $670,000 after purchasing an additional 3,101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Shaker Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 81.8% in the 2nd quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 212,585 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $2,504,000 after purchasing an additional 95,639 shares in the last quarter. 12.98% of the stock is currently 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.

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