NYSE Short Interet In Financial Shares Climbs

Investing

Published: January 23, 2008 4:08 am

Short interest on January 15 showed bets against financial shares listed on the NYSE climbed when compared to December 31 numbers.

Shares short in Countrywide Financial (CFC) rose 32.5 million to 166.9 million. Shares sold short in Washington Mutual (WM) moved up 37.5 million to 129.9 million. Shares short in Wachovia (WB) moved up 15.4 million to 81.7 million.

Shares short in some tech and telecom stocks fell. Short interest in IBM (IBM) dropped 4.7% to 12.9 million. Shares sold short in Qwest (Q) dropped 4.4 million to 84.5 million. Shares short in Verizon (VZ) dropped 2 million to 29 million.

Largest Short Positions.

Company Shares Sold Short

Countrywide 166.9 million shares short

Ford (F) 154.7 million

Washington Mutual 129.9 million

AMD (AMD) 91.8 million

Qwest 84.5 million

Wells Fargo (WFC) 84.1 million

Wachovia 81.7 million

Micron (MU) 76.9 million

Home Depot (HD) 70.7 million

Largest Increases In Share Sold Short

Company Increase In Shares Short

Washington Mutual 37.7 million share increase

Countrywide 32.5 million

Ford 16.1 million

Wachovia 15.3 million

SLM (SLM) 13.5 million

AMD 12.6 million

Largest Decrease In Shares Sold Short

Company Decrease In Shares Short

GE (GE) 6.4 million decrease in shares short

Best Buy (BBY) 5.7 million decrease

CVS (CVS) 5.0 miillion

IBM (IBM) 4.7 million

Qwest 4.4 million

Data from NYSE and WSJ

Douglas A. McIntyre

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