Bears Pile In: Guns, Crocs & Quantum In Focus

Short sellers are on the move this week. ORTEX data as of September 17 reveals sharp shifts across several sectors — with a gunmaker, a footwear brand, and a chip maker all drawing fresh bearish attention.

Biggest mover: Smith & Wesson. SWBI short interest jumped from 6.0% to 10.1% of free float in just seven days — a 4-point surge. The gun maker's bears nearly doubled their bet. Bears are paying close attention to the firearms sector.

Crocs shorts creep higher. CROX SI climbed from 10.3% to 12.8% FF over the week. That's a steady build — not a spike — suggesting bears see sustained downside in consumer discretionary spending.

Wolfspeed: a crowded short. WOLF sits at 82.4% SI % FF with zero availability — no shares left to borrow. The chip maker has shed 59% in three months.

EverCommerce grabs attention. EVCM has an ORTEX short score of 94 — the highest in this screen. Cost to borrow hit 49.5% APR. Only 3.7% availability remains. Bears are trapped in a crowded trade.

Short squeeze watch: Chewy. CHWY SI fell from 77.7% to 74.1% FF this week. Bears are covering. With 484% availability of SI, there is plenty of room to keep unwinding. Squeeze pressure is building.

Yen headlines grab markets. The Bank of Japan raised rates to their highest since 1995. That's pressuring global short books tied to USD strength.

This is not financial advice.