Stock fact sheet · data as of
Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc (HIX): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol HIX · Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · Fund / Note
Is HIX undervalued?
At 3.50 (close of 5 Nov 2026), HIX trades 75% below the GLS average fair value of 13.82. That average comes from 8 models run on the latest filings, and 8 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
There is a wide gap between EPV (5.65) and Graham Growth (29.07). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
HIX looks like a fund, note or preferred share rather than an operating company, so the nightly engine files it under Fund / Note: the valuation models are not built for it, and its Wheel Score is capped at 45.
Nine valuation models for HIX
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | 6.91 | +98% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 29.07 | +731% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 12.71 | +263% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 27.49 | +685% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 6.93 | +98% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 13.17 | +276% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 8.65 | +147% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 5.65 | +61% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -1.86 | -153% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc scores 5 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that falls one point short of the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. There is no GLS Moat score for HIX: funds, notes and second share lines get none, and so does a company with fewer than two years of accounts on file. The Moat part of the Wheel Score is zero.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 8.3%, ROE 12.2%, ROA 8.1% - with debt at 0.46 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 9.9%.
The dividend yield is high at 16.80% (payout ratio 125%) - a payout above 100% of earnings, which is not covered by profits. A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual.
Institutional ownership scores 2/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 8.3% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | - / 10 | ROE | 12.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.46 | ROA | 8.1% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 9.9% | Payout ratio | 125% |
| Institutions | 2 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 26: No options
No options are listed on Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc in our nightly snapshot, so it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade) (it reads 26, under 70) and is left out of every options scan; the fair value and health figures above are still useful for a plain stock position.
Volume runs at 441k shares a day on a market cap of $315M, with a beta of 0.93; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | no listed options |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Fails | a fund or note, not a company |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Fails | Piotroski 5/9 (under 6) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | no implied volatility |
| 8 | Big enough | Fails | market cap $315M (under $1.0B) |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Fails | price 3.50 (under $5) |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 75% below fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | no option data | |
| Moat | Weak | no moat score | |
| Health | Fair | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | not scored yet - half marks | |
| Option trading | Weak | no option volume data | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.93, $315M company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for HIX in the nightly calendar. The shares go ex-dividend on 20 Nov 2026 (0.0490 per share), so a covered call sold before then carries a small early-assignment risk around that date.
No analyst upgrades or downgrades were recorded in the last 30 days.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management
The 12 companies below are the closest to Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc by market cap within the Asset Management industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIO Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc | 3.32 | 7.21 | +54% | 25No options | $316M |
| ASG Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. | 4.98 | 19.91 | +75% | 23No options | $317M |
| PPT Franklin Premier Income Trust | 3.36 | 5.64 | +40% | 29No options | $321M |
| CYPH Cypherpunk Technologies Inc. | 2.87 | 2.15 | -33% | 16Weak | $309M |
| KTF DWS Municipal Income Trust | 8.22 | 16.13 | +49% | 24No options | $322M |
| EMF Templeton Emerging Markets Fund | 20.57 | 248.08 | +92% | 26No options | $307M |
| BAGAX Brown Advisory Growth Equity Adv Shares | 8.18 | 60.82 | +87% | 24No options | $307M |
| PSBD Palmer Square Capital BDC Inc. | 9.99 | 35,260.74 | +100% | 32No options | $306M |
| BKT BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. | 10.03 | 13.53 | +26% | 26No options | $325M |
| MASGX Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Fund | 17.01 | 10.67 | -59% | 10No options | $325M |
| MINVX Madison Large Cap Fund Class Y | 31.66 | 101.25 | +69% | 28No options | $304M |
| EFR Eaton Vance Senior Floating-Rate Trust | 10.24 | 33.57 | +69% | 35No options | $302M |
⚖ Compare HIX with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about HIX
Is HIX undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 3.50 the stock is 75% below the average fair value of 13.82 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of HIX and what does it mean?
HIX has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), stays under 70 and is shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for HIX?
13.82 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Western Asset High Income Fund II Inc report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for HIX in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does HIX have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on HIX, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score stays under 70.