3D Printing Stocks See Mixed Interest from Short Sellers

Short interest in 3D Systems fell 9.4% to 23.42 million shares. Some 25% of the company’s stock is short.

Short interest in Proto Labs rose 14.4% to 2.03 million shares, or 10.6% of the company’s float.

Stratasys saw short interest fall by 12.3% in the last two weeks of May to 3.19 million shares, or about 11.6% of the company’s float.

Short interest in ExOne rose by 5.2% to 2.2 million shares. About 32.5% of the company’s shares are now held short.

Short interest in half these firms rose, while it fell in the other half. The rise in short interest in Proto Labs likely stems from the company’s position as a service provider only, not a maker of 3D printing machines. The rise in short interest at ExOne was a bet against a good quarterly report, which in fact turned out to be a good bet. Since the drop to around $38, ExOne shares have risen to $52 and could go higher on chatter that General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is shopping for a 3D printing company.