Short Interest

Short interest is the aggregate number of shares that have been sold short but not yet bought back (covered). It is reported twice monthly by US exchanges and expressed both in raw share count and as a percentage of float.

Elevated short interest (e.g., above 15–20% of float) signals a crowded bearish bet. This creates two-sided risk: if the bear thesis is right, the stock falls further; if something positive happens, all those shorts must cover simultaneously, creating a short squeeze.

Short interest data is a sentiment indicator, not a timing tool. A stock can stay heavily shorted for months before the squeeze materializes — the catalyst matters as much as the setup.