S&P 500
7,322.40
+0.63%
Dow Jones
49,749.90
+0.87%
Nasdaq 100
28,416.80
+1.07%
Russell 2000
2,888.82
+1.66%
FTSE 100
10,430.20
+1.61%
Nikkei 225
62,037.50
+2.17%

Technology

Short Sellers Look Focused in Semiconductor Stocks

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Published
Follow 24/7 Wall St. on Google
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

micro chip
Thinkstock
The short interest data for semiconductors have come out for the September 30 settlement date. The short interest for these stocks gives a mixed view on the sector. Looking at the market after the first hour of trading, all of these semiconductor stocks were down at least 4%, rewarding some vigilant short sellers.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) saw its short interest increase to 133.2 million, with 5.64 days to cover, from the previous reading of 129.3 million. It seems like the short sellers were biased against the company, but they didn’t get so aggressive that they knew about the CEO departure. This was the fourth highest short interest reading on the year and the third highest since late July. The company’s stock closed Thursday at $2.95, in a 52-week range of $2.84 to $4.80.

Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) saw its short interest rise to 72.8 million, with 7.82 days to cover, from the previous reading of 70.1 million. The current reading is roughly 5 million away from the 52-week short interest high of 77.8 million shares. It is also the second consecutive increase in the number of shares short. The stock closed Thursday at $20.87 and has a 52-week range of $16.40 to $23.46.

ALSO READ: Short Interest in Biotech Becomes Company Specific

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) saw its short interest barely fall to 124.2 million shares, with 4.37 days to cover, from the mid-September reading of 124.6 million. However, this is the lowest short interest reading that Intel has had in the past 52 weeks. Over the course of the year, short interest recorded a drop of 131.1 million. Short interest has dropped in each settlement date since mid-June. Intel closed Thursday at $33.62 and has a 52-week range of $22.82 to $35.56.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) saw its short interest fall to 105.0 million, with 3.77 days to cover, from the previous level of 106.7 million. This is the second lowest reading for the year, coming in just behind the late-August reading of 101.3 million. Short interest has remained at this level since mid-August. The company’s stock closed Thursday at $30.64, and it has a 52-week range of $16.17 to $34.85.

SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) saw its short interest fall to 15.3 million shares, with 4.67 days to cover, from the mid-September reading of 17.1 million. This was the lowest number of shares short for the year. Short interest has either held consistent or declined since March, excluding a one-time spike in late July. Shares closed Thursday at $89.99 and have a 52-week range of $61.03 to $108.77.

ALSO READ: Major Oil Stocks Short Interest Surprise

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Latest Podcast Episode

Breaking Down A Historic Run, A New Portfolio Buy, And A Recent Recommendation Already Up 217%

Play

48 min
Apple Podcasts Spotify

Continue Reading

Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Have Mixed Feelings on Semiconductors

The short interest data have come out for the August 31 settlement date. On the broad scope, short sellers appear…
Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Back Away From Bets Against Semiconductor Leaders

What many investors forget is that semiconductors represent a key component of the economy, because just about every single consumer…
Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Losing Conviction in Major Semiconductor Stocks

Recent short interest moves show that investors now appear to have mixed sentiments on the semiconductor industry, after the previous…
Chris Lange |

Short Interest in Biotech Becomes Company Specific

The short interest data are out for the end of September settlement date, and 24/7 Wall St. has reviewed the…
Chris Lange |

Major Oil Stocks Short Interest Surprise

Most of the top oil stocks, with the exception of Petrobras, saw their short interest fall in late September.
Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Look Selectively at Major Semiconductor Stocks

Recent short interest moves show that investors are continuing to have a mixed sentiment on the semiconductor industry.
Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Have Mixed Views on Major Semiconductors

The short interest data have come out for the September 15 settlement date. Short sellers appear to have mixed feelings…
Chris Lange |

Short Sellers Keep Exiting Semiconductors

Recent short interest moves show that investors seem to be growing marginally more optimistic on the semiconductor industry, as short…
Trey Thoelcke |

The 6 Most Shorted Nasdaq Stocks: New King of the Mountain

Between the August 14 and August 31, Sirius XM was dethroned as the most heavily shorted stock traded on the…

Top Gaining Stocks

Waters
WAT • Vol: 2,131,048
Intel
INTC • Vol: 198,362,091
Akamai
AKAM • Vol: 8,677,900
Micron Technology
MU • Vol: 64,268,462
Qualcomm
QCOM • Vol: 34,272,223

Top Losing Stocks

Huntington Ingalls Industries
HII • Vol: 1,746,810
Pool
POOL • Vol: 2,311,870
Aptiv
APTV • Vol: 10,166,405
Leidos
LDOS • Vol: 2,252,442
PayPal
PYPL • Vol: 39,099,369