The short sellers are showing very mixed convictions currently in many of NASDAQ’s high-priced shares.  The March 31, 2011 settlement date is compared to the March 15 settlements date here and we have added in color on each of the following: Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), Priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ: PCLN), and Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN).

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) saw a small gain to the short interest at the end of March with a 1.6% change up to 7.277 million shares.  This follows what had been an 8% drop two weeks prior and a 20% drop two weeks before that. Keep in mind that as of September 30, Amazon’s short interest was over 16 million shares.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) saw another small gain in short selling to 11.63 milllion shares but that was only a 2.1% gain and it was just before Apple’s chart started to fall of the map.  This was actually the highest short interest since the end of September.

Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) also rose in short selling with a 4.56% gain to 5.906 million shares, making the move not worth much note.

F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) saw another drop in the short interest for th third period in a row.  The drop was 22.69% to 3.185 milllion shares, the lowest reading since last May.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) saw another small drop of 8.9% in its short interest down to 3.435 milllion shares.  This is the second lowest reading of 2011.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) saw a rather large drop in short selling with a 11.79% drop to 10.49 milllion shares in the short interest. Netflix has had no real pattern because short sellers are in and out routinely as they get shaken out by the volatile share price.

Priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ: PCLN) saw a tiny gain of 1.44% to 4.11 million shares.  This is actually the highest level since last Jul as the mid-March figure already on the books had grown by more than 15% in the short interest.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) saw a drop in the short interest of 8.82% to 2.809 milllion shares but this one ebbs and flows with no current pattern underway.

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JON C. OGG

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