Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Insider Purchase: 10k Shares Disclosed

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Insider transaction summary: On 14-Jul-2025, director Peter Daniel Charles Mason filed a Form 4 disclosing the open-market purchase of 10,000 shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. (HIO) common stock at an average price of $4.0183 per share. The transaction increases his direct beneficial ownership to 10,000 shares. No sales or derivative positions were reported.

The filing represents a modest insider buy (≈ $40,000 in total value) and does not reference any accompanying corporate events or material non-public information. While insider purchases can be viewed as a vote of confidence, the dollar amount is relatively small and therefore unlikely to have a material impact on the fund’s valuation or liquidity.

Insights

Securities Analyst

TL;DR: Director bought 10k HIO shares (~$40k); directionally positive but financially immaterial.

Context: Form 4 shows Peter Mason, newly listed director, acquired 10,000 common shares at $4.0183 on 14-Jul-2025.
Magnitude: Purchase value ≈ $40,000; tiny relative to HIO’s market capitalization and average daily volume, limiting market impact.
Signal: Insider buying is generally interpreted as confidence in future performance, yet the low dollar commitment tempers that signal.
Governance: Transaction establishes an initial ownership stake aligning the director’s interests with shareholders.
Conclusion: Slightly positive sentiment but not a catalyst; I classify the disclosure as non-impactful for valuation purposes.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Mason Peter Daniel Charles

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O FRANKLIN TEMPLETON

280 PARK AVENUE, 8TH FLOOR

(Street)

NEW YORK NY 10017

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
WESTERN ASSET HIGH INCOME OPPORTUNITY FUND INC. [ HIO ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
07/14/2025

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	07/14/2025		P		10,000	A	$4.0183	10,000	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

Remarks:

	/s/ Marc A. De Oliveira by Power of Attorney on behalf of Peter Mason	07/15/2025
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

What did HIO director Peter Mason buy on July 14, 2025?

He purchased 10,000 shares of Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. common stock.

At what price were the HIO shares purchased?

The shares were bought at an average price of $4.0183 per share.

How many HIO shares does Peter Mason now own?

Following the transaction, Mason directly owns 10,000 shares.

Were any derivative securities involved in this Form 4 filing?

No. The filing lists no derivative securities acquired or disposed of.

Is the insider purchase considered material for HIO investors?

The transaction is relatively small (≈ $40k) and is unlikely to materially affect HIO's valuation.