Short Selling

The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 21

Mon 19 May 25, 11:17am (AEST)
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Source: iStock

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Welcome back to the Short Seller Series – A recap of the most heavily shorted stocks on the ASX and those experiencing significant changes to short interest over the past week.

Short selling data is four days behind today's date because reporting is not mandatory until three business days after the trade. The tables below will compare:

  • Week-on-week changes between 5 and 12 May 2025

  • Month-on-month changes between 1 April and 12 May 2025

  • Most covered and rising short tables record week-on-week changes of 0.5% or more

Most Shorted

Ticker

Company

Short %

Week-on-Week

Month-on-Month

BOE

Boss Energy

23.59%

-1.26%

-2.07%

PDN

Paladin Energy

15.47%

-0.77%

-0.79%

IEL

Idp Education

13.10%

0.78%

0.25%

MIN

Mineral Resources

13.08%

-0.41%

-0.17%

DYL

Deep Yellow

12.31%

-0.10%

-0.87%

PLS

Pilbara Minerals

11.57%

0.04%

-0.90%

LTR

Liontown Resources

11.30%

-1.06%

-0.68%

CTT

Cettire

10.73%

1.30%

0.76%

PNV

Polynovo

10.67%

0.32%

0.50%

KAR

Karoon Energy

10.23%

0.35%

1.06%

Key takeaways

  • Uranium Short Squeeze: Boss Energy’s shares soared nearly 90% from April 7 to May 13, likely forcing short sellers to cover amid the stock's upthrust.

  • Liontown’s Rally Pressures Shorts: A ~60% surge in Liontown Resources’ stock between May 6 and 16 may be driving bearish positions to exit.

  • Cettire Rides Tariff Relief: Cettire emerged as a key beneficiary of U.S.-China tariff de-escalation, with its stock jumping 22% on May 13 (peaking at 34% intraday), though short sellers appear resilient against the rally.

Rising Shorts

Ticker

Company

Short %

Week-on-Week

Month-on-Month

CTT

Cettire

10.73%

1.30%

0.76%

KLS

Kelsian Group

4.08%

1.08%

1.62%

CU6

Clarity Pharmaceuticals

9.17%

1.06%

3.36%

IGO

IGO

8.35%

0.90%

0.91%

BOT

Botanix Pharmaceuticals

3.59%

0.87%

0.35%

BMN

Bannerman Energy

8.16%

0.81%

-0.16%

RWC

Reliance Worldwide

2.56%

0.80%

1.30%

IEL

Idp Education

13.10%

0.78%

0.25%

BRG

Breville Group

5.14%

0.76%

1.43%

BRN

Brainchip

2.36%

0.73%

-1.20%

BOQ

Bank of Queensland

3.85%

0.54%

0.25%

Key takeaways

  • Kelsian’s Short Interest Rises Despite Rally: Kelsian Group saw an 18% one-day spike on May 7, yet short interest ticked higher. The company reaffirmed its Q3 performance and guided FY25 EBITDA to the lower end of its range. Analysts noted that, despite a weather-related downgrade due to Cyclone Alfred, guidance exceeded consensus, with Q4 earnings supported by strong contract momentum.

  • Clarity Pharmaceuticals Faces Short Surge: Short interest in Clarity Pharmaceuticals climbed to 9.17%, up from 5.18% a month ago and 1.76% at the beginning of the year. The stock has plummeted 79% from its September 2024 peak to a 15-month low.

Most Covered

Ticker

Company

Short %

Week-on-Week

Month-on-Month

MYX

Mayne Pharma

1.71%

-1.26%

0.77%

BOE

Boss Energy

23.59%

-1.26%

-2.07%

SYR

Syrah Resources

5.94%

-1.25%

-1.94%

LTR

Liontown Resources

11.30%

-1.06%

-0.68%

MP1

Megaport

6.31%

-0.97%

-1.54%

PDN

Paladin Energy

15.47%

-0.77%

-0.79%

NST

Northern Star Resources

0.61%

-0.76%

-2.12%

FLT

Flight Centre

4.68%

-0.76%

-1.27%

DMP

Domino's Pizza

9.40%

-0.73%

-0.44%

QAL

Qualitas

1.22%

-0.66%

-0.68%

NCK

Nick Scali

5.58%

-0.66%

-1.15%

SDR

Siteminder

1.72%

-0.61%

-0.09%

LOT

Lotus Resources

8.42%

-0.59%

-2.45%

DRO

Droneshield

3.98%

-0.58%

-1.79%

Key takeaways

  • Mayne Pharma’s Short Covering Pre-Takeover: Ahead of a potential $7.40-per-share takeover by Cosette Pharmaceuticals, Mayne Pharma sees short covering, though its $6.48 share price on Friday reflects market skepticism about the deal’s completion.

  • Syrah’s Rally Squeezes Shorts: Syrah Resources’ stock skyrocketed over 100% from April 9 to May 15, likely pressuring short sellers to cover amid the explosive rally.

 

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Written By

Kerry Sun

Content Strategist

Kerry holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University. He is an avid swing trader, focused on technical set ups and breakouts. Outside of writing and trading, Kerry is a big UFC fan, loves poker and training Muay Thai. Connect via LinkedIn or email.

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