John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

Ares Capital

BlackRock Science & Technology

Crescent Capital BDC Inc

Calamos Dynamic Convertible & Income Fund

Calamos Global Total Return Fund

Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II

Eaton Vance Tax Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund

Fidus Investment

Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund

John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund

JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF

JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF

Barings Corporate Investors

PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund

PIMCO Dynamic Income Fund

PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund

Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF

Cohen & Steers Quality Income Realty Fund

Royce Value Trust

Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF

Special Opportunities Fund Inc

Credit Suisse X-Links Crude Oil Shares Covered Call ETN

Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund Inc

Closed-end funds are special income vehicles, with many positive aspects and just as many weaknesses that take time to be properly understood and evaluated. I discovered their existence about ten years ago, and over time, I became convinced of their worth by developing a personal method of selection based mainly on NAV performance. This is an analytical, data-driven approach which I then extended to other types of securities in my portfolio, namely ETFs and BDCs.

My 9.5% Income Portfolio CEFs And Classic Cars

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund

John Hancock Investors Trust

John Hancock Income Securities Trust

BOSTON , Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The John Hancock Closed-End Funds listed in the table below announced earnings1 for the three months ended October 31, 2024. The same data for the comparable three-month period ended October 31, 2023 is also available below.

JOHN HANCOCK CLOSED-END FUNDS RELEASE EARNINGS DATA

BOSTON , Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The John Hancock closed-end funds listed below declared their monthly distributions today as follows: Declaration Date:         November 1, 2024 Ex Date:                       November 12, 2024 Record Date:                November 12, 2024 Payment Date:             November 29, 2024 Ticker Fund Name Distribution Per Share  Change From Previous Distribution Market Price as of 10/31/2024 Annualized Current Distribution Rate at Market HPI Preferred Income Fund $0.1235 - $17.96 8.25 % HPF Preferred Income Fund II $0.1235 - $17.86 8.30 % HPS Preferred Income Fund III $0.1100 - $16.06 8.22 % PDT Premium Dividend Fund $0.0825 - $12.83 7.72 % HTD Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund $0.1380 - $23.01 7.20 % John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Premium Dividend Fund (the "Fund") declared its monthly distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "PDT Plan"). Under the PDT Plan, the Fund makes monthly distributions of an amount equal to $0.0825 per share.

JOHN HANCOCK CLOSED-END FUNDS DECLARE MONTHLY DISTRIBUTIONS

BOSTON , Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0825 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of October 11, 2024, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

JOHN HANCOCK PREMIUM DIVIDEND FUND NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS - SOURCES OF DISTRIBUTION UNDER SECTION 19(a)

I maintain a buy rating on John Hancock Premium Dividend (PDT) due to its attractive discount to NAV and potential for growth from future interest rate cuts. PDT's portfolio includes solid dividend payers, with significant exposure to banks and utilities, which are sensitive to interest rate changes. The fund's 7.5% dividend yield is appealing for income-focused investors, though sustainability relies on net investment income and net realized gains.

PDT: Positive Outlook Driven By Interest Rates

My portfolio includes CEFs, ETFs, a few BDCs and an ETN, for whose selection I have developed over the years a criterion based mainly on NAV performance. In this article, however, I decided to focus on the price of each security in my portfolio, comparing it with the lows and highs touched throughout its history. An overview of the path each one has taken from launch to current market quotation with a personal assessment of the possible room for maneuver from those values.

My 9.5% Income Portfolio-Fifty Shades Of Blue

BOSTON , Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0825 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of September 13, 2024, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan.

JOHN HANCOCK PREMIUM DIVIDEND FUND - NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS - SOURCES OF DISTRIBUTION UNDER SECTION 19(a)

John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

BOSTON, MA , Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The nine John Hancock closed-end funds listed below announced today that each fund's Annual Meeting of Shareholders ("Annual Meeting") will be held on February 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

JOHN HANCOCK CLOSED-END FUNDS ANNOUNCE ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER MEETING AND RECORD DATES

Eagle Point Credit

Oxford Lane Capital

Total Return is a percentage measure reflecting the total performance of a fund, incorporating both capital gains and the effect of dividends reinvested over a specific period. Net Asset Value is the value of an investment fund, determined by subtracting liabilities from assets. The fund's per-share NAV is found by dividing NAV by number of shares outstanding. A positive Total Return with a negative NAV performance creates dissonance in my opinion, whereas having both values positive gives a favorable indication of the quality of a fund.

My 9.5% Income Portfolio-The View From The Top

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund offers a high level of income with an 8.05% yield, outperforming some pure-play preferred stock funds. The PDT closed-end fund invests in common and preferred equity, with fixed-income securities accounting for just over half of the portfolio. Investors have been hungry for dividends lately, as the fund's largest positions have generally beaten the S&P 500 Index over the past year.

PDT: Benefiting From Current Market Trends And Looking Good For Income

John Hancock's Premium Dividend Fund offers a high 8.7% dividend yield and monthly distributions, making it appealing for income-focused investors. The fund invests in dividend-paying preferred stocks and common stocks, with a majority exposure to utilities and a shift towards financials. PDT trades at a discount to net asset value, presenting an opportunity for entry. PDT has rarely traded in the discount territory over the last ten years.

PDT: Utility And Financial Exposure At A Discount

Aberdeen Standard Global Infr Inc Fd

BlackRock Utilities Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust

Nuveen AMT-Free Municipal Value Fund

Western Asset Investment Grade Income Fund

PIMCO Dynamic Income Strategy Fund

4 Closed-End Fund Buys In The Month Of March 2024

Surrounded by the smoothness of the Tuscan landscape, I have always thought that the pursuit of harmony in human activities is the first step toward happiness. I also chase a balance in investments, seeking to create a portfolio whose securities provide a steady cash flow over time and grow the nominal capital invested.

My 9% Income Portfolio - Harmony In Investment

First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF

Nuveen Preferred & Income Opportunities Fund

Cohen & Steers Ltd. Duration Preferred & Income Fund, Inc.

iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF 

Global X U.S. Preferred ETF

Bond bargain alert! Three secure funds yielding 8% to 9% are for sale on the discount rack.

My Preferred Ways To Play The Fed Pay 8%+ Dividends

The John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund offers investors a high level of income from a combination of fixed-income securities and common stocks. The fund's 9.10% yield is attractive for investors seeking a high level of income, and it is surprisingly in line with what is available from fixed-income funds. The fund's performance has lagged behind the market, with a 4.56% decline in share price since the last article was published.

PDT: Don't Be Fooled By The Price Performance, This 9.10%-Yielding Fund Is Not Bad

Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you can't beat the market. It's total nonsense—and that goes double if you look outside stocks, to other assets.

These 7% Dividends Prove This Investment ‘Rule' Is Total Rubbish

Adams Diversified Equity Fund

For those who invest for dividends, the goal is to look for securities that can guarantee sustainable dividends and distributions over time. Choices about how to deploy the income generated by those instruments are personal and depend on each investor's needs, financial means, and age.

My 9% Income Portfolio-In Search For Happiness

Ares Dynamic Credit Allocation Fund

AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund Inc

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust

BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust

Central Securities

Calamos Convertible Opportunities And Income Fund

DNP Select Income Fund Inc

Energy Transfer LP Unit

abrdn Healthcare Investors 

New American High Income Fund

India Fund Inc

Kayne Anderson MLP Investment

Main Street Capital

Annaly Capital

Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund

Cohen And Steers Total Return Realty Fund

Cohen & Steers Reit And Preferred Income Fund Inc

2023 year-end review of our 8% Income Portfolio. This high-income portfolio earned over $29,000 in distributions amounting to over 14% yield-on-cost basis and roughly 8.6% on average portfolio value. We will provide updates on trades during the year, dividends collected, and overall performance. As usual, we will compare the performance with a traditional 60:40 stock/bond portfolio.

The 8% Income Portfolio: 2023 Year-End Review

Carlyle Credit Income Fund

DoubleLine Income Solutions Fund

Virtus Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Income Fund 

Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Total Income Fund

Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income OpportunityFund Inc

We review CEF market valuation and performance through the second week of January and highlight recent market action. Most CEF sectors were up on the week, with CMBS delivering the best return. Discounts are tightening across all but one sector. CEF sector designation is not a precise endeavor, creating potential pitfalls for investors.

CEF Weekly Review: Take Care With CEF Sector Designation

Blackrock Health Sciences Trust

Blackrock ESG Capital Allocation Trust

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Income Fund

NXG NextGen Infrastructure Income Fund

PIMCO Dynamic Income Opportunities Fund

Cohen & Steers Tax-Adv Pref Secs and Inc Fund

Cohen & Steers Real Estate Opportunities and Income Fund

Reaves Utility Income Fund

I have a total of 41 positions in my closed-end fund portfolio, with the top ten positions making up 36.52% of the portfolio. We have four new names making their way to my top ten list since the prior update, but three were already positions that have simply grown to be larger allocations. Closed-end funds overall look to be a place of opportunity as discounts remain historically wide across both equity and fixed-income-focused funds.

My Top 10 Closed-End Fund Holdings: December 2023

Total Return is the actual rate of return for an investment over a given evaluation period, typically one, three, five, or ten years. The Total NAV Return is the sum of all dividends/distributions, assuming they are reinvested, plus the change in the NAV of the fund, be it positive or negative. However, managing our portfolio is not only about applying financial rules, because it is not certain that dividends can and will always be reinvested.

My 9% Income Portfolio-Living Off Dividends

John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund

BOSTON , Dec. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: BTO), John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ), John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE: JHS), John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI), John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT), John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD), and John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield (NYSE: HTY) (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") announced today that the Board of Trustees has renewed the Funds' share repurchase plans.  The Board of Trustees approved the renewal of the share repurchase plans as part of its ongoing evaluation of options to enhance shareholder value and potentially decrease the discount between the market price and the net asset value per share ("NAV") of the Funds' common shares.

JOHN HANCOCK CLOSED-END FUNDS ANNOUNCE RENEWAL OF SHARE REPURCHASE PLANS

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund cut its distribution earlier this year, leading to a sell-off, but the discount/premiums of closed-end funds can be exploited by investors. PDT's discount has narrowed since the distribution cut pushed it to a wide discount; it remains at a fairly attractive discount level even after it has narrowed. Swapping back to John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund from PDT could make sense here, but I wouldn't expect the results to be as swift with no major catalyst.

PDT And HTD: Exploiting Discounts In Closed-End Funds

Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund

ArrowMark Financial

Barings Participation Investors

LMP Capital and Income Fund

abrdn World Healthcare Fund 

For income investors, closed-end funds remain an attractive investment class that covers a variety of asset classes and promises high distributions and reasonable total returns. Closed-end funds, or CEFs, are generally characterized by higher volatility and deeper drawdowns than the broader market. For these reasons, they are not suited for everyone. In this monthly series, we highlight five CEFs with solid track records, pay high distributions, and offer "excess" discounts. We try to separate the wheat from the chaff using our filtering process to select just five CEFs every month from around 500 closed-end funds.

5 Best CEFs This Month For 10% Yield (October 2023)

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund aims for high current income and capital growth, but has underperformed in the last decade. PDT focuses on dividend-paying securities, with utilities and financials making up a significant portion of its portfolio. PDT recently reduced its monthly payouts, causing investor disappointment, but still offers a high yield at its current price.

PDT: Worst Performing In Category Now Yields 11%, Is It A Buy?

News for John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund ETF (PDT)