Why this matters — Three distinct ORTEX data streams aligned on TS within 24 hours: cost to borrow jumped 54%, options sentiment spiked, and short interest fell 21% over the month. The convergence suggests shifting mechanics in the stock's short trade.
Cost to borrow surged to 1.22%. Borrowing costs rose 54% over the past week, hitting 1.22% on April 22. The spike came despite declining utilization (71.2%, down from a March peak of 100%). Higher CTB often signals tightening supply or rising demand to short, even as absolute shares short declined.
Options sentiment turned defensive. The put-call ratio climbed to 0.67 on April 21, up from a 20-day average of 0.56. The 2.5 standard deviation move above the mean indicates elevated hedging activity or bearish positioning. The PCR had traded near 0.54 for most of April before the recent jump.
Short interest fell 21% in one month. Shares short dropped to 5.46 million on April 22, down from 8.61 million on March 30. The decline accelerated over the past week, with a 5.5% drop. Official FINRA data from March 31 reported 7.36 million shares short, confirming the downtrend.
Tenaris saw similar short interest volatility in early April. Short shares peaked near 9.3 million on March 26, then unwound sharply into early April. The current CTB spike mirrors a brief March 30 surge to 1.94%, which preceded further short covering. However, this time CTB is rising while shorts exit, a less common pattern.
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