Stocks With the Most Short Interest — NYSE

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) saw short interest rise to 150.42 million shares in the final two weeks of January. That was an increase of 0.3% to 2.9% of the stock’s total float. Days to cover at average daily volume is five. The company reported results on January 28, and shares dipped by more than a dollar before regaining nearly all of that in the past several days. Short sellers still want to be there. The stock closed at $32.95 on Tuesday night, in a 52-week range of $31.74 to $39.00.

EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) is the only one of these stocks to see a decline in short interest in the latter half of January. Short interest fell 3.3% to 138.81 million shares, which represents 6.9% of EMC’s float and five days to cover. The company’s results were disappointing, and short sellers likely took their profits and will now wait for another opportunity. The stock closed at $24.98 Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $21.45 to $27.34.

Short interest in Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) rose 10.2% to 130.81 million shares, representing 12.3% of the company’s float and three days to cover. Even though aluminum prices are forecast to rise in 2014 on the strength of automobile and aircraft manufacturing, Alcoa has struggled with costs, and that is an opportunity to bet against the firm. Shares closed at $11.33 Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $7.63 to $12.32.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) saw short interest rise to 127.42 million shares, up 3.6% in the two-week period. Days to cover is three for the heavily traded stock, with 20.8% of its float held short. The stock price is about 50% higher than its 52-week low on the strength of the company’s design wins in video game controllers. Shorts are betting that those gains will be short-lived. Shares closed at $3.70, in a 52-week range of $2.26 to $4.65.

Short interest in J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) rose to 118.44 million shares, up 8.9% in the two-week period. Some 39.3% of J.C. Penney’s shares are held short, but days to cover is only four, based on the stock’s heavy trading volume. Preliminary numbers from the struggling retailer have not been good, and the shorts are waiting for the official announcement on February 26 for another payday. The stock closed at $6.04 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $4.90 to $23.10.