Bears Double Down: HTZ, SLAB, GME in Focus

Short sellers are busy this week. Data from ORTEX as of August 10 shows fresh bearish positioning across several notable names — with some big movers catching attention on social platforms.

Hertz leads the pile-on. HTZ saw short interest jump 5.3 percentage points in just seven days. It now sits at a punishing 69.6% of free float. Cost to borrow hit 10.4% APR. Zero shares are available to borrow — a squeeze flashpoint if sentiment turns.

Chip bears load up before earnings. SLAB (Silicon Laboratories) saw short interest rise 39% over the past month. Bears are clearly betting against an earnings beat. SI stands at 9.7% of FF with CTB a modest 0.43%.

GameStop stirs again. GME short interest climbed 2 points to 15.7% of free float this week. Social chatter around the meme-stock icon has picked up. CTB is cheap at 0.7% — meaning shorts are not feeling squeezed yet.

Wolfspeed stays extreme. WOLF remains one of the most shorted mid-cap names at 81.3% of FF. The stock has lost 42% in three months.

MGM moves up the list. MGM Resorts quietly saw shorts add 2.4 points week-over-week, now at 13.6% of FF — worth watching as casino stocks navigate macro uncertainty.

This is not financial advice.