iShares ESG Aware 1-5 Year USD Corporate Bond ETF Experiences Notable January Short Interest Surge

The iShares ESG Aware 1-5 Year USD Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:SUSB) has observed a substantial uptick in its short interest during the month of January. Specifically, by the closing of the month on January 31st, the accumulated short interest stood at 58,800 shares, representing an 8.1% surge from the mid-month count of 54,400 shares. When compared to the ETF's average trading volume, current at about 133,400 shares, the associated days-to-cover ratio rests at 0.4 days.

Investor Activity in the Spotlight

Several institutional entities, encompassing hedge funds, have recently been active in purchasing and offloading stakes in the fund. Investments include Sunbelt Securities Inc. initiating a position valued near $45,000 and Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC entering at roughly $47,000. HBC Financial Services PLLC also acquired a stake valued at about $57,000, whereas BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA took on a new stake worth close to $137,000. AGF Management Ltd. rounded out recent investments with a move valued around $211,000.

ETF Valuation Movements

The trading session on the concluding day of last week observed the NASDAQ:SUSB at an opening value of $24.37. This ETF has seen a 52-week stretch ranging from a low of $23.55 to a high of $24.60, with the 50-day and 200-day moving averages sitting at $24.43 and $24.05, respectively.

Dividend Distribution Declared

A noteworthy development for the shareholders, the ETF recently pronounced a monthly dividend that was dispensed on February 7th. The recorded shareholders as of February 2nd received a $0.066 per share dividend, with the ex-dividend date being February 1st. This disbursement implies an annualized dividend of $0.79 and a dividend yield tallying 3.25%.

Fund Profile Overview

The iShares ESG Aware 1-5 Year USD Corporate Bond ETF chiefly invests in investment-grade corporate debt with maturities spanning one to five years, targeting bonds with favorable environmental, social, and governance (ESG) attributes. The fund endeavors to parallel the risk and return parameters of the Bloomberg US Corporate 1-5 years Index as it optimizes its weighted holdings.

iShares, SUSB, ShortInterest