After volatility roared back into the markets in early February, bringing with it the long overdue 10% correction, things seemed to settle down somewhat as the month wore on. Then volatility spiked again when March arrived, as concerns about rising interest rates were joined by fears of a trade war. Sell-offs can be good for short sellers, depending on how they are positioned and how nimble they are. Judging by the most shorted stocks traded on the Nasdaq, these sellers were cautious overall between the February 15 and February 28 settlement dates, but there were a couple of notable moves.
Short sellers got out of the way of many of their favorites during the final weeks of last month, with Comcast dropping out of the top six on the list. Short interest in Apple, though, surged for the second period in a row, and it has once again become a member of the top 10.
Note that now just two Nasdaq stocks had more than 100 million shares short as of the most recent settlement date.
Sirius XM
The more than 218.18 million Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) shares short after the latter two weeks of last month was about 1% more than on the previous settlement date. The latest reading totaled 11.3% of the available float and was the second highest level of short interest so this year. As the average daily volume retreated somewhat in the period, the days to cover grew from about nine to more than 11.
At least one analyst saw Sirius XM shares as a bargain earlier in the month. The stock ended the short interest period less than 2% higher than where it began it, despite being down more than 2% at one point. The Nasdaq rose only fractionally between the settlement dates. Like the broader markets, Sirius stock has seen a gain in the past week, and it reached a multiyear high of $6.55 on Friday. The 52-week low of $4.73 was seen last May.
AMD
By the end of February, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) had about 159.55 million shares short. That was about 5.8 million fewer than on the total on the previous settlement date, and it was still the lowest level of short interest since October. The latest reading represented 24.7% of the company’s float. The average daily volume decreased to a year-to-date low, and the number of days it would take to cover all short positions was more than three.
Expectations were high last month for AMD’s budget gaming chip. Its February 28 closing share price was about the same as on the previous settlement date, despite being both down more than 3% and up about 6% in the interval. The stock closed trading on Friday at $11.70 a share, which still is more than 6% higher year to date. Shares have changed hands at between $9.70 and $15.65 apiece in the past year.
Intel
More than 98.82 million Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) shares were sold short as of the most recent settlement date. The figure shrank by almost 5% in the period, and it was the first time since last July that the short interest was less than 100 million shares. It represented 2.1% of the company’s float as well. As of the end of last month, it would take more than three days for investors to cover all their short positions.
Intel was one of the stocks expected to benefit from the repatriation of overseas cash. The shares ended the short interest period about 7% higher, and it has continued to climb since then. Intel closed most recently at $52.19 a share, after hitting a multiyear high of $52.30 earlier in the day. The 52-week low is $33.23. And the share price now is more than 11% higher year to date.
Opko Health
Opko Health Inc.’s (NASDAQ: OPK) short interest increased more than 13.7% from in the previous period to more than 65.40 million shares on the most recent settlement date. That was the first time since last November that it was more than 60 million, and it represented 20.1% of the total float. The daily average trading volume shrank for the second straight period, and the days to cover number ticked had risen to more than 14.
For well more than a year, the CEO frequently has bought batches of Opko shares. The stock closed most recently at $3.59 a share, in a 52-week trading range of $2.66 to $8.54. By the end of the two-week short-interest period, the share price was a little more than 12% lower. It has recovered somewhat since then. The stock currently is down more than 27% since the beginning of the year.
Synergy Pharmaceuticals
Short interest at Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: SGYP) totaled nearly 62.53 million shares at the conclusion of February, after a pullback of more than 3.6 million from the prior settlement date. Still, that represented a whopping 59.1 % of the total float, even if it was the fewest shares short since last July. The days to cover rose from around 11 to more than 16 during the latest period as the average daily volume shrank again.
This biopharmaceutical company is focused on treatments for constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Short sellers watched the stock fall almost 13% in those two weeks, only to roar back more than 22% after the settlement date. The most recent closing share price was $2.17, which is more than 11% lower year to date. The shares have changed hands between $1.68 and $5.43 apiece in the past year.
24/7 Wall St.Micron Technology
The number of Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) shares short totaled more than 62.47 million on the latest settlement date. That was only slightly fewer than two weeks earlier, and it represented 6.1% of the total float. It was also the third time in the past year that more than 60 million shares were short. The average daily trading volume pulled back from a year-to-date high in the latest period, but the days to cover figure remained at a more than one.
Micron continues to be popular with hedge fund managers. By the end of the short-interest period, the share price was more than 11% higher, and the stock continued to rise into March. It ended Friday’s trading at $54.59 a share, after hitting a 52-week high of $55.83 earlier in the day. The 52-week low is $24.81 to $49.89. The share price currently is about 25% higher than it was at the start of the year.
And Others
Rounding out the top 10 were Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO). The iPhone maker was the stand out among these four, with an almost 20% gain in the number of shares short bringing it back into the top 10. The short interest rise at Cisco was more modest, and Comcast saw the second consecutive notable decline in the number of shares short.
Lingering along with it outside the spotlight of the top 10 most shorted Nasdaq stocks were TherapeuticsMD Inc. (NASDAQ: TXMD), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX).
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