Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE:HIO) Stock Passes Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. (NYSE:HIO) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $3.80 and traded as low as $3.64. Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund shares last traded at $3.6550, with a volume of 341,176 shares trading hands.

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.80.

Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.0355 per share. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 11.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st.

Institutional Trading of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MAI Capital Management increased its position in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 14.6% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 24,967 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 3,175 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 98,413 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $365,000 after acquiring an additional 3,341 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 20.7% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 20,295 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 3,486 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 398,939 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $1,480,000 after acquiring an additional 4,559 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund by 84.7% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 10,900 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the period.

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.