BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BKT) Short Interest Update

BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BKT) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 118,600 shares, an increase of 165.3% from the January 31st total of 44,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 69,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.7 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BlackRock Income Trust

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock Income Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $12,815,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Income Trust by 32.7% during the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 789,229 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,092,000 after purchasing an additional 194,603 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock Income Trust in the 3rd quarter worth about $13,380,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of BlackRock Income Trust by 19.7% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 212,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 34,937 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in shares of BlackRock Income Trust by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 414,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,154,000 after acquiring an additional 19,061 shares in the last quarter. 39.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BlackRock Income Trust Stock Up 0.4 %

BKT stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Friday, reaching $11.80. 104,880 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 65,728. BlackRock Income Trust has a 52-week low of $11.06 and a 52-week high of $12.67. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $11.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.97.

BlackRock Income Trust Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $0.0882 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 14th. This represents a $1.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.97%.

About BlackRock Income Trust

BlackRock Income Trust, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc The fund is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund invests in securities of companies that operate across diversified sectors. It invests in securities such as U.S.