Bears Target Car Rental, Pet Stocks Hard

Short sellers ramped up bets sharply in the week to July 30. The moves cut across sectors. Rental cars, pet retail, and energy were all hit.

HTZ (Hertz) now sits at 84.6% SI of free float — up nearly 10 points in just seven days. That is one of the highest readings of any stock with a market cap above $500M. CAR (Avis Budget) rose to 36.2%, up 7 points over the same period. Short sellers are clearly bearish on the car rental sector as a whole.

CHWY (Chewy) also saw a big jump. SI hit 82.4%, up from 72.4% a week ago. The stock has shed 10% over three months. Availability stands at a generous 460% of SI — meaning there is still plenty of room for shorts to add.

SOC (Sable Offshore) jumped 11 points to 43.7% SI. Energy bears are circling the small-cap oil name. GRPN (Groupon) climbed to 74.3%. It was up 96% over three months, which has drawn fresh short interest.

On the high short-score side, EVCM (EverCommerce) carries a 95.7 ORTEX short score with a cost to borrow near 40%. Days to cover sit at 24. That is a powder keg setup.

Watch LUCK (Lucky Strike Entertainment). SI is 23%, DTC near 47 — a very illiquid short. Any positive catalyst could force a sharp unwind.