Bears Pile Into Chewy, Hertz, and Wolfspeed

Short sellers turned aggressive last week. Three names stand out for the size and speed of their moves.

CHWY saw the biggest jump among large-cap names. Short interest climbed to 79.2% of free float — up nearly 16 points in seven days. Bears are betting Chewy's pet retail growth story has stalled. Availability of shares to borrow sits at 376%, so more shorts can still pile in.

HTZ is another heavily shorted name on the move. Short interest hit 78.6% of FF, up 9 points on the week. Borrowing shares is nearly impossible — availability has crashed to 0%. A squeeze is a real risk if sentiment turns.

WOLF is the most extreme mid-cap story. Short interest now sits at 82% of FF, with zero shares available to borrow and a cost to borrow of 6.4% APR. The semiconductor firm has shed nearly 70% over three months. Bears show no sign of backing off.

CLBK drew fresh attention from shorts. Columbia Financial's SI jumped 28 points in a week to 33.8% — an unusually sharp move for a regional bank.

LUCK carries a short score of 96 — among the highest in the market. Days to cover stands at 47. That extreme reading makes it a prime squeeze candidate if any positive catalyst hits.

With oil pushing past $100 and macro nerves rising, short sellers are clearly growing bolder across multiple sectors.