The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 34
Short interest builds broadly ahead of reporting season, with bearish bets rising in stocks like Breville Group, Iluka Resources and NextDC.
Source: iStock
Mentioned
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 4 and 11 August
Month-on-month changes between 14 July and 11 August
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Boss Energy | 19.83% | 0.42% | 5.51% | |
Paladin Energy | 18.15% | 0.64% | 1.26% | |
Pilbara Minerals | 15.08% | 0.05% | 1.26% | |
Silex Systems | 14.58% | 3.04% | 3.28% | |
Idp Education | 12.87% | 0.45% | 0.80% | |
Lifestyle Communities | 11.71% | -0.02% | 0.14% | |
Mineral Resources | 11.70% | -0.64% | -2.22% | |
Polynovo | 11.64% | 0.10% | 0.57% | |
Liontown Resources | 10.25% | -2.89% | -1.89% | |
Corporate Travel Management | 9.90% | 1.02% | -0.01% |
Rising Shorts
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Silex Systems | 14.58% | 3.04% | 3.28% | |
Beach Energy | 5.23% | 2.81% | 1.88% | |
Breville Group | 6.13% | 1.83% | 0.27% | |
Iluka Resources | 8.01% | 1.66% | 3.70% | |
Weebit Nano | 4.47% | 1.31% | 1.32% | |
Corporate Travel Management | 9.90% | 1.02% | -0.01% | |
James Hardie Industries | 3.98% | 1.02% | -0.65% | |
Light & Wonder | 1.63% | 1.02% | 1.28% | |
Imugene | 3.22% | 1.01% | -1.88% | |
The Star Entertainment Group | 6.71% | 1.00% | 3.61% | |
Centuria Industrial REIT | 2.55% | 1.00% | 0.87% | |
Alcoa Corporation | 1.52% | 0.93% | 1.08% | |
Guzman Y Gomez | 7.49% | 0.87% | 1.24% | |
NextDC | 7.46% | 0.82% | 0.59% | |
Domino's Pizza | 6.79% | 0.76% | 1.28% | |
Rio Tinto | 5.82% | 0.76% | 0.36% | |
New Hope Corporation | 2.95% | 0.76% | -0.32% | |
Woodside Energy Group | 3.45% | 0.74% | -0.06% | |
Paladin Energy | 18.15% | 0.64% | 1.26% | |
Healius | 5.26% | 0.61% | 1.32% | |
Domain Holdings Australia | 1.72% | 0.58% | 0.67% | |
Westgold Resources | 3.60% | 0.57% | 1.11% | |
MAC Copper | 1.76% | 0.56% | 0.39% |
Key takeaways
Silex faces short seller pressure following a capital raise earlier this month. Short interest spiked after the company completed a $130 million placement at $3.90 per share (15.7% discount). The proceeds will primarily fund commercialisation of SILEX uranium enrichment technology in the US through exclusive licensee Global Laser Enrichment (GLE).
Beach Energy sells off on disappointing guidance revision. Shares tumbled 9.3% on July 31st after the company pre-announced FY25 EBITDA and NPAT guidance 2% and 5% below consensus respectively. Citi analysts highlighted ongoing portfolio headwinds, including reserve downgrades at Beharra Springs and an earlier-than-expected decline at Otway, prompting a ~6% reduction to their FY26 production forecast.
Short interest builds broadly ahead of reporting season. A wide range of stocks saw short interest increases of 0.5% or more ahead of peak August reporting season. Notable targets included Breville Group (facing potential tariff and China slowdown risks), Iluka Resources (after a substantial rally in rare earths), Weebit Nano (nearly doubled from late June lows), and several resource majors including Rio Tinto, Alcoa, New Hope and Woodside.
Most Covered
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Liontown Resources | 10.25% | -2.89% | -1.89% | |
Syrah Resources | 3.29% | -1.92% | -1.68% | |
Opthea | 2.14% | -1.13% | -1.24% | |
Wildcat Resources | 0.60% | -1.12% | -1.29% | |
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | 0.24% | -1.10% | -0.12% | |
Alkane Resources | 2.80% | -0.87% | -0.26% | |
Nick Scali | 4.38% | -0.78% | -1.31% | |
Mineral Resources | 11.70% | -0.64% | -2.22% | |
Amcor | 0.71% | -0.56% | -0.88% | |
Capstone Copper Corp | 0.64% | -0.47% | -0.20% |
Key takeaways
Liontown defies shorting pressure. Despite raising $266 million at a 13% discount (73 cents per share) to "fortify" its balance sheet, short interest actually declined. The stock surged as much as 18% the day after the raise (August 11th), likely squeezing short positions. Chinese lithium carbonate futures have continued to soar currently trading around 89,100 yuan a tonne, up 53% since June.
