RZLV Shorts Retreat, But Borrow Stays Painful

Rezolve AI shorts are cutting positions. Short interest has fallen 11.2% in a week to 13.9% of free float. That is the first meaningful unwind in weeks of relentless build. Yet the borrow market tells a different story: availability sits at just 2.2%, and cost to borrow is 50.8% — still among the most expensive borrows in the small-cap AI universe.

Shorts Covering, Not Capitulating

Since the June 15 note — when availability briefly touched 0.07% and cost to borrow peaked at 112% — some shorts have clearly walked away. Shares short have dropped from roughly 48.1 million to 41.9 million over the week. The 1-month change is now -8.4%.

This is covering, not capitulation. At 13.9% of free float, short interest remains elevated. Days to cover sits at 3.35 per the latest FINRA data. Bears have trimmed, but the position is far from cleared.

The Borrow Market Is Still Shut

What is notable is that the covering has not translated into meaningfully looser borrow conditions. Availability has recovered from the 52-week low of 0.07% on June 12 to 2.2% today. That is still very tight — barely two shares available for every hundred already borrowed.

Cost to borrow peaked at 112% on June 15 and has since eased to 50.8%. That is down 55% from the peak. It is still up 269% over the past month. Shorts who remained in position are paying steep carry into an earnings date now just one week away.

The ORTEX short score sits at 82.6 — effectively unchanged from the 82.7 reading on June 15. It ranks in the first percentile of the entire tracked universe. The borrow configuration has eased at the margin but remains critically stressed by any conventional measure.

Earnings in Seven Days

RZLV reports June 26. Recent earnings history is mixed: the April 8 print saw a 12% one-day drop; the March 30 print saw a 7% gain that extended to 24% over five days.

Insider activity adds a counterweight to the short positioning. Chairman and CEO Daniel Wagner bought $3.25 million worth of shares in early April. Director Steve Perry added $265,000 in May. Net insider buying over 90 days totals $3.5 million. Insiders bought at prices around $4.00 — well above the current $2.72 close.

The options market is calm relative to the borrow stress. The put/call ratio of 0.29 is at its 52-week high, but the z-score of 1.4 is not extreme. Call open interest still dominates.

Data Summary

• SI % of Free Float: 13.9% (down 11.2% in one week)
• Cost to Borrow: 50.8% (down from 112% peak on June 15; up 269% vs. one month ago)
• Availability: 2.2% (52-week low was 0.07% on June 12)
• ORTEX Short Score: 82.6 — 1st percentile of tracked universe
• Next earnings: June 26
• Net insider buying (90 days): $3.5 million