Anheuser-Busch InBev is flashing a rare convergence of lending and options stress. Cost to borrow shot to 8.52% on May 8 — from just 1.03% a week earlier. Simultaneously, the put-call ratio hit its highest level in a year. The stock rallied 5.7% in the same week.
The borrow squeeze built over several days. Availability tightened sharply through the week of May 5–7, with utilization climbing from 66% to 97% by May 7 — the lending pool nearly exhausted. Cost to borrow rose in step: 0.72% on May 5, 1.54% on May 6, 1.94% on May 7.
Then, on May 8, something shifted. Utilization dropped abruptly to 57% — meaning availability opened up significantly. But the cost to borrow simultaneously jumped to 8.52%. That combination is unusual. It suggests a chunk of the existing borrow inventory was recalled or repriced, and new supply entered at a much steeper rate. Short sellers who need to maintain positions are now paying over eight times what they paid a week ago.
For context, BUD's borrow cost averaged roughly 1.0–1.4% through most of March and April. The current level of 8.52% represents a 591% rise over the past month.
Options traders are not reading from the same script as the equity market. The put-call ratio reached 0.961 on May 8 — a 52-week high — and sits 3.05 standard deviations above the 20-day mean of 0.743. That Z-score puts Thursday's options flow in extreme territory.
The divergence is stark. BUD's ADR rose 5.7% on the week, driven partly by a strong earnings reaction on May 5 (+11.1% on the day). Yet options buyers loaded up on puts at the highest rate in a year. Defensive positioning after a sharp move higher is one reading. Another is that derivatives traders see the rally as an opportunity to hedge.
The bullish case has fundamental backing. JP Morgan raised its price target to $93.83 from $84 on May 7, maintaining Overweight. Wells Fargo followed with a raise to $93 from $88 the day prior. The consensus mean target sits at $92.28 — roughly 15% above the May 8 close of $79.89.
BlackRock added 4.84 million shares in the most recent filing period. GQG Partners built a position of 10.4 million shares.
See the live data behind this article on ORTEX.
Open BUD on ORTEX →ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
