Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. (NYSE:HIO) Short Interest Update

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. (NYSE:HIO) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 29th, there was short interest totaling 145,068 shares, an increase of 102.0% from the May 14th total of 71,809 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 341,159 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE HIO opened at $3.61 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $3.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.70. Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund has a fifty-two week low of $3.52 and a fifty-two week high of $4.05.

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.0355 per share. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 24th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sit Investment Associates Inc. raised its holdings in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 33.2% in the 4th quarter. Sit Investment Associates Inc. now owns 2,235,264 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $8,293,000 after buying an additional 556,840 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 19.7% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,220,952 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $4,530,000 after buying an additional 201,345 shares during the last quarter. FCA Corp TX raised its holdings in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. FCA Corp TX now owns 1,206,739 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $4,380,000 after buying an additional 66,178 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 13.5% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 776,289 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $2,880,000 after buying an additional 92,096 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 59.7% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 753,190 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $2,892,000 after purchasing an additional 281,615 shares during the last quarter.

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Company Profile

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc (NYSE: HIO) is a diversified closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide high current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in high-yield and other fixed-income securities. The Fund’s portfolio is actively managed by Western Asset Management Company, an affiliate of Franklin Templeton, and may include below-investment-grade corporate debt, emerging-market sovereign and corporate bonds, bank loans, mortgage- and asset-backed securities.