Western Asset High Yield Opportunity Fund Inc.
HYIFinancial Services · Stock · monthly payer
Forward Yield
11.45%
Annual Dividend
$1.14
Payout Ratio
130%
5-Yr Growth
0.0%
Ex-Date
Oct 23, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
Summary
As of September 2026, Western Asset High Yield Opportunity Fund Inc. (HYI) yields 11.45% ($1.14 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $11.53 — +14% upside, so it screens as fairly valued. Dividend safety grade: C (65/100).
Is HYI a good dividend stock?
Yes, with caveatsWestern Asset High Yield Opportunity Fund Inc. (HYI) pays a monthly dividend yielding 11.45% ($1.14/yr), with 0 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of C. It's a solid income payer, but check the caveats below before buying.
Advantages
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2018
- Elevated payout ratio (130%)
- Very high yield can signal elevated risk
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 11.45%
- Payout Ratio
- 130%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.14
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 0.0%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Oct 23, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 0
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- —
- Market Cap
- $126.1M
- P/E Ratio
- 11.2
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -37%
- 52-Week Range
- $10.04 – $12.12
- Dividend Safety
- C · 65/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2018)
Frequently Asked Questions
HYI Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-11%
3 Years
-8%
5 Years
-37%
52-Week Range
$10.04 – $12.12
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is HYI worth?
Fairly valuedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Western Asset High Yield Opportunity Fund Inc. is $11.53 per share, versus a market price of $10.15. That implies the stock is roughly fairly priced.
Fair Value
$11.53
Current Price
$10.15
Gap
+14%
Margin of Safety
12%
How we get there
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
Assumptions: 9.3% discount rate (CAPM), 0.0% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $0.88 EPS, $1.14 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
HYI Dividend Safety Score
Borderline
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
Full HYI dividend history →| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Aug 24, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Jul 24, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Jun 23, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| May 21, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Apr 23, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Mar 24, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Feb 20, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Jan 23, 2026 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Dec 23, 2025 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Nov 20, 2025 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Oct 24, 2025 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Sep 23, 2025 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
| Aug 22, 2025 | — | $0.0950 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.14 / yr per share
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