The 4 highest-shorted large-cap stocks

Key Points

• Stocks with high short interest, such as Sirius XM (SIRI) and U-Haul (UHAL), draw attention due to their substantial short floats, hinting at potential volatility.
• Celsius (CELH) surged 51% this year, but its 13.23% short interest reflects market uncertainty despite its impressive performance.
• VinFast Auto (VFS) has a substantial 26% short interest even though the stock fell over 90% in the previous three months.

Tracking stocks with a high short interest has gained immense popularity in recent times, thanks to the unforgettable meme craze. Whether you’re a spectator, a long or short participant, it has proven vital to be in the know with stocks possessing unusually high short interest. 

Stocks with a double-digit short interest can be categorized as unusually high interest and, as such, should be monitored closely. Even more so if said stocks are trading near breakout levels where shorts might begin to panic and close out their positions. 

Interestingly, four of the highest shorted large-cap stocks are currently spread across various sectors, including the Automotive, Consumer discretionary, and Industrial sectors. 

Top four highest-shorted large-cap stocks

Sirius XM NASDAQ: SIRI

First up is Sirius XM, the audio entertainment company that operates an audio business that includes subscription entertainment services in the United States. 

As of November 15, SIRI had a sizeable short interest of 28.35% of the float sold short, equating to just over 176 million shares. That figure has increased slightly from the previous short data released on October 31, when it had a 27.45% short float. 

Based on twelve analyst ratings, analysts have SIRI rated as Reduce and a consensus price target of $5.02, predicting almost 6% upside. Shorts have no reason to panic, though, as the stock recently failed to hold above a critical resistance level of $5.

Celsius NASDAQ: CELH

Next on the list is Celsius, a global company that has emerged as a prominent player in the health and wellness industry. Year-to-date, shares of Celsius have impressed, climbing by almost 51% higher. 

Short sellers disagree with the market and that performance, though, as the stock currently bodes a short interest of 13.23% or 30.6 million shares. The company, which has a market capitalization of just over $12 billion, has a dollar volume sold short of $1.58 billion as of November 15. 

U-Haul NYSE: UHAL

U-Haul, the do-it-yourself moving and storage operator for household and commercial goods in the United States and Canada, finds itself on the list as its stock, UHAL, has a short interest of 25.64%.

Year-to-date, the stock has underperformed, down over 7%. However, the stock has reclaimed its 50-day Simple Moving Average over the past two weeks and is consolidating in a tight range. Bulls will hope for a move above short-term resistance, which might spark a short squeeze.

VinFast Auto NASDAQ: VFS

Last on the list is the automotive manufacturer VinFast Auto. The company engages in automobile and E-scooters-related business in Vietnam and the United States.

Shares of VFS currently have a Buy rating based on three analyst ratings. Notably, the stock has a consensus price target of $9.50, which predicts a whopping 35.91% upside. It’s worth noting, however, that the stock has fallen over 91% over the previous three months.

Despite its sharp decline this year, short sellers are betting for the decline to continue. The stock has a 26% short interest as 8.2 million shares were sold short as of November 15.