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

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

Institutional Trading of Western Asset High Income Fund II

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Arax Advisory Partners acquired a new position in Western Asset High Income Fund II during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Comerica Bank boosted its position in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II by 134.1% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 9,369 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 5,367 shares during the period. Williams Jones Wealth Management LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. One Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Western Asset High Income Fund II in the third quarter worth $45,000.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE HIX traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $4.10. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 269,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 332,663. The business’s 50 day moving average is $4.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.15. Western Asset High Income Fund II has a 12-month low of $3.75 and a 12-month high of $4.40.

Western Asset High Income Fund II Dividend Announcement

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

About Western Asset High Income Fund II

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.