Short Interest in First Trust Senior Loan ETF (NASDAQ:FTSL) Drops By 40.2%

First Trust Senior Loan ETF (NASDAQ:FTSL) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 80,900 shares, a decline of 40.2% from the August 15th total of 135,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 261,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

First Trust Senior Loan ETF Stock Up 0.0 %

NASDAQ:FTSL traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $46.09. The stock had a trading volume of 223,994 shares, compared to its average volume of 284,382. First Trust Senior Loan ETF has a 1-year low of $45.01 and a 1-year high of $46.99. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $45.96 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.06.

First Trust Senior Loan ETF Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st were paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.55%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Trust Senior Loan ETF

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in First Trust Senior Loan ETF in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in First Trust Senior Loan ETF in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in First Trust Senior Loan ETF by 189.5% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 770 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. acquired a new position in First Trust Senior Loan ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Sachetta LLC acquired a new position in First Trust Senior Loan ETF in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $61,000.

First Trust Senior Loan ETF Company Profile

The First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P\u002FLSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 index. The fund holds senior floating rate bank loans from firms around the globe. The actively managed fund can hold up to 20% of assets in non-senior loans, including high-yield bonds and equities.