Bears Pile In: HTZ, WOLF and MGM Draw New Shorts Thursday

Short sellers intensified positions in several well-known names this week. Hertz Global Holdings stands out as the most squeezed-looking stock among larger names. Its SI % FF sits at 73.5%. The cost to borrow has rocketed to 317% APR. Available shares to borrow have dried to zero.

Wolfspeed tells a similar story. The semiconductor maker carries 87.5% SI % FF. Shares available to borrow are also exhausted, and the stock has fallen 9.5% over the past three months. With days to cover at 10.6, any covering rush could be sharp.

Lucid Group remains a magnet for bears. SI % FF holds at 66%, with CTB at 15.6% and availability near zero at 1.2%. The EV maker has shed almost half its value over three months. ORTEX alt data shows Dutch car registrations, a dataset that leads Polestar revenue, running 68% below year-ago levels in Q3. The broader EV demand picture is weak across Europe. That may be keeping bears committed to Lucid bets.

MGM Resorts is a newer mover worth watching. Its SI % FF rose 1.5 percentage points in seven days to 13.6%. Availability is ample at 658%, so bears can still build positions with ease. The cost to borrow stays low at 0.43%.

On the squeeze side, Quantinuum saw its SI % FF drop nearly 3 points to 19.9% in a week. Sprouts Farmers Market dropped 2.6 points to 11.5%. Both names drew heavy covering as defensives led sectors Thursday, with consumer staples outperforming growth stocks across the board.

Groupon stays persistently heavily shorted at 68.3% SI % FF, though CTB is low at 1.5% and availability holds at 35%.

Defensives leading and growth trailing Thursday suggests the macro mood remains cautious. Bears are rotating, adding selectively rather than retreating.