Short Sellers Pile Into Ten Stocks, With One Name 86% Shorted

Benzinga reported Wednesday that short sellers have clustered into ten large-cap names, with bearish positioning running at historically elevated levels across energy, artificial intelligence and enterprise software.

Venture Global Leads the Pack

Louisiana-based LNG exporter Venture Global (NYSE: VG) tops the screen at an extraordinary 86.10% short interest. That figure is nearly double the second-most-shorted name on the list. The company went public in early 2025 at a market capitalisation above $31 billion. Bears have questioned whether the firm can honor long-term supply agreements while managing construction and execution risk at its Calcasieu Pass and CP2 liquefied natural gas facilities. With daily trading volume around 6.25 million shares, any bullish catalyst could force rapid and painful short covering.

Also Read: What Rising LNG Export Capacity Means for Global Energy Markets

A Wide Range of Sectors Under Pressure

The remaining nine names on the screen span several high-profile industries. Electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group (NASDAQ: LCID) and bitcoin miner CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) both appear. Automation software firm UiPath (NYSE: PATH) is also listed, reflecting continued skepticism around enterprise software valuations. Benzinga applied minimum filters for the screen, requiring market caps above $2 billion, 14-day average volume above 5 million shares, and free floats above 5 million shares.

Why Crowded Shorts Can Reverse Fast

Short squeezes can accelerate sharply when multiple heavily-shorted names begin moving at once. On the day of publication, several stocks were already trading against the bears. Bitdeer Technologies (NASDAQ: BTDR) surged nearly 15%, design software platform Figma climbed more than 8%, and UiPath added roughly 6.7%. Those moves illustrate how quickly sentiment can shift when short interest is this concentrated.

Also Read: Understanding Short Squeezes and How They Develop

Background: Short Selling as a Market Signal

Short interest data has long served as a contrarian indicator for traders. When a stock’s float is more than 20% short, analysts generally flag it as a squeeze candidate. Readings above 50% are rare and typically reflect deep fundamental disagreement between bulls and bears. Venture Global’s 86% figure places it among the most contested large-cap names seen in recent years. For investors watching these names, sustained positive macro news or strong earnings could compress short positions dramatically and accelerate upside price moves well beyond normal ranges.

Read Next: What Is Short Interest and Why Does It Matter for Traders?