Bears are loading up on several names as Q2 earnings season kicks off this week. Short interest and cost-to-borrow signals point to sharp options skews across key tickers.
HTZ is the standout. Short interest sits at 59% of free float. Availability of shares to borrow has dropped to zero. That combination typically triggers elevated put buying and forced-cover squeezes — a dangerous setup heading into results.
BYND is another flashpoint. SI % FF sits at 24%. Cost to borrow has spiked to 37.7% APR. Availability of short interest is just 9.4%. That squeeze risk tends to fuel aggressive call buying from traders betting on a short-cover rally.
CRWV carries 28% SI % FF with a cost to borrow of under 0.5%. Availability stands at 301%. That structure suits put buyers — plenty of borrow means shorts can stay in their positions without pressure.
GME is back in focus. SI % FF is 13.8%. Availability has tightened to 75%. Options traders have historically used GME as a battleground whenever borrow tightens toward this zone.
On the macro side, DAL reports earnings this week. SI % FF is just 3.5%. Availability is near 975%. That means options flow will be driven by fundamentals rather than short dynamics — analysts upgraded the airline sector this week, tilting sentiment toward calls.
PEP also reports this week. SI is a low 2.2%. Options interest here will center on earnings volatility, not short-squeeze risk.
This is not financial advice.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
