Bears Pile Into CoreWeave, Hertz Stays Squeezed

Short sellers stepped up bets on CRWV this week. CoreWeave's short interest as a percentage of free float rose 3.6 points in seven days to 24.8%. The AI cloud provider carries a $24.9 billion market cap. Cost to borrow remains low at 0.6%, suggesting shorts are comfortable holding positions for now.

HTZ remains one of the most extreme short positions in US markets. Hertz sits at 72.3% SI of free float, with a cost to borrow of 190%. Near-zero share availability means new short positions are almost impossible to open.

EV names are firmly in short sellers' sights. LCID stands at 64.7% SI of free float with a 23.8% borrow cost and virtually no shares available. ORTEX alt data shows registered battery-electric vehicles in the US state fleet hit a four-year low in July 2026, down from 15,268 in 2022 to 13,272. That backdrop gives bears a macro tailwind.

CHWY showed the sharpest short covering of the week. SI dropped 4.6 points to 86.7% of free float. It remains one of the most shorted liquid US names, but the squeeze risk is rising.

CRWV's rising short load comes as chip stocks face pressure. Taiwan export orders hit a record $95.7 billion in September 2026, the highest since the data series began in 1984, pointing to sustained semiconductor demand that may complicate the bear case.