Bears Press MGM and Conagra Hard

Short sellers built new positions in MGM Resorts International and Conagra Brands this week. Both are among the clearest mid-week movers in the US market.

MGM's short interest climbed to 14.3% of free float from 12.1% seven days ago. That 2.3-point rise puts casino bears back on offense. The stock has struggled as chip stocks grabbed investor attention elsewhere.

Conagra saw its SI % FF jump to 10.9% from 8.7% over the same period. Consumer staples are under pressure. France's industrial production index has fallen for three straight months, adding a European demand-side weight to the global packaged-food story.

Wolfspeed remains the most extreme name in the semiconductor space. Short interest sits at 88.9% of free float. The stock is down 26% over three months. Shares to borrow are essentially gone: availability has fallen to zero.

Hertz holds at 73.4% short interest with a cost to borrow near 128%. Availability is also zero. That is a classic squeeze setup, but bears are not covering yet.

Lucid Group stayed elevated at 66% short interest. EV sentiment in the US remains fragile. ORTEX data shows Japanese car sales running at a three-year October low, a backdrop that keeps pressure on loss-making EV challengers broadly.

1-800-Flowers was the week's notable short cover. Its SI % FF dropped to 74.2% from 76.2%. Even so, with 24.8 days to cover, any squeeze remains a slow grind.