Short sellers raised their bets on AIRI by 15.6% over the past week, while cost to borrow edged higher. The aerospace manufacturer closed at $3.18 Friday, flat week-over-week but down 0.3% in the past month.
Air Industries Group closed at $3.18 on April 24, up 0.6% on the day. The stock showed no change over the past week. Over the past month, shares slipped 0.3%.
Short interest climbed to 36,264 shares as of April 23, representing 0.76% of the free float. That marks a 15.6% increase over the past week and a 5.9% jump day-over-day. Short sellers have been building positions steadily since early April, when SI sat below 18,000 shares.
The March peak was far higher — 83,722 shares on March 16. Current levels are down 9.8% from a month ago, though the recent week shows renewed shorting activity.
Cost to borrow stood at 1.25% on April 23. CTB has risen 1.6% over the past week and jumped 57.8% over the past month. The recent high was 1.55% on March 13. CTB dipped as low as 0.79% in late March before climbing back above 1.2% in the past week.
Utilisation reached 5.34% on April 23, up from 4.9% a week prior. The 52-week high was 65.39%, set months ago. Utilisation peaked at 13.11% on March 16, coinciding with the March short interest high. Current utilisation remains well below those levels.
FINRA's fortnightly report showed 15,160 shares short as of the April 15 settlement date, with days to cover at 1.0.
Enterprise value stood at $45.6 million as of year-end 2026.
The ORTEX short score sits at 74 on a percentile basis within its sector. Days to cover ranks at the 71st percentile. Utilisation ranks at the 49th percentile, middle of the pack. The analyst recommendation differential ranks at 49, and the dividend score sits at 24.
The composite ORTEX short score registered 29.08 on April 23, up slightly from 28.70 a week earlier. The score has trended modestly higher through April.
Charles Frischer established a new position of 449,998 shares, reported March 20. That stake represents 9.4% of shares outstanding, making him the second-largest holder.
Jeffrey Eberwein disclosed a new 200,000-share position in late January, a 4.2% stake. Star Investment Management also initiated an 85,000-share holding in January.
Michael Taglich added 11,998 shares to his position, now holding 455,843 shares (9.5%). Robert Taglich increased his stake by 7,522 shares to 287,737 (6.0%). Michael Porcelain added 9,084 shares, bringing his total to 75,751 (1.6%).
Vanguard increased its position by 32,062 shares to 56,309, a 1.2% stake. Geode Capital added 4,814 shares to reach 27,500.
GSA Capital Partners established a new 27,069-share position by year-end 2025. Virtu Financial took a new 27,038-share stake, and Susquehanna disclosed a new 21,563-share holding.
Insiders were net buyers over the past 90 days, purchasing 47,992 shares worth approximately $136,300.
On January 5, Michael Taglich bought 11,998 shares at $2.84, a $34,074 purchase representing his 9.5% stake. Robert Taglich purchased an identical amount at the same price that day. The Taglich Brothers family holding sold 23,996 shares at $2.84, realizing $68,149.
In April 2025, CEO Luciano Melluzzo received a stock award of 34,123 shares and sold 13,006 shares at $3.34 for $43,440. The Chief Accounting Officer received an award of 20,427 shares and sold 8,447 at $3.34 for $28,213.
Air Industries reported earnings on March 27 and April 2. The next earnings event is scheduled for August 11.
An analyst price target of $5.00 was last recorded in early September 2025, implying 57% upside from current levels. No analyst consensus rating is available.
Earnings are set for August 11. Short interest has climbed back above 36,000 shares after dipping in early April. Further movement in CTB — now at 1.25% after rising 58% in a month — may signal changing availability dynamics.
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