The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 43
DroneShield shorts hit a record as uranium names dominate rising shorts, despite long-term prices sitting above their 2007 peak.
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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 5 and 12 October 2026
Month-on-month changes between 14 September and 12 October 2026
Most covered and rising short tables record week-on-week changes of ~0.5% or more
Most Shorted
DroneShield’s short interest has hit a fresh record high, topping the 15.17% peak set just a few weeks ago. The stock fell for nine straight sessions between 5 and 15 October, shedding 22.1% to close at its lowest level since June 2025. That’s despite a 15 October update showing contracted FY26 revenue has reached $261 million, squarely in the middle of its $250 million to $270 million guidance range and up 35% on the prior year.
Elsewhere, uranium names Lotus Resources and Boss Energy have also pushed above 15% short interest (more on that below).
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Droneshield | 16.23% | 1.71% | 0.02% | |
Lotus Resources | 15.56% | 1.59% | -1.40% | |
Boss Energy | 15.11% | 1.99% | 5.47% | |
Zip Co | 12.90% | 0.32% | 2.49% | |
PLS Group | 12.89% | 0.13% | 1.72% | |
Iperionx | 12.88% | 0.43% | 1.16% | |
Domino's Pizza | 12.14% | 0.49% | 0.12% | |
Paladin Energy | 11.82% | 0.37% | 0.90% | |
Lynas Rare Earths | 11.81% | 0.28% | 1.67% | |
Wisetech Global | 10.99% | -0.09% | 1.41% |
Rising Shorts
Uranium dominates this week’s list, with Boss Energy, Lotus Resources, Bannerman Energy and Deep Yellow all adding shorts. It’s a strange disconnect as Cameco’s long-term uranium price ended September at US$96.50/lb, above its 2007 peak of US$95, while the spot price closed the month at US$89.63. Yet the stocks have gone the other way, with most names down 20-30% over the past month. The reality is that while major economies, China in particular, keep investing in nuclear power to meet decarbonisation goals and booming power demand, uranium equities remain highly sensitive to risk appetite. The current backdrop (elevated yields, AI correction, slowing growth expectations etc.) is weighing on small caps and the more speculative pockets of the market.
Elsewhere, the list reads like a basket of the market’s most speculative, high-beta names, most of which are down sharply over the past few months. That includes critical minerals plays (Chalice, Vulcan, Alpha HPA, Core Lithium, Sunrise Energy Metals, Arafura), defence tech (Electro Optic Systems, Elsight) and medtech (Artrya, Clarity).
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Boss Energy | 15.11% | 1.99% | 5.47% | |
Droneshield | 16.23% | 1.71% | 0.02% | |
Lotus Resources | 15.56% | 1.59% | -1.40% | |
Artrya | 10.05% | 1.50% | 8.04% | |
Chalice Mining | 4.04% | 1.20% | 0.48% | |
Electro Optic Systems | 10.85% | 1.15% | 2.28% | |
Temple & Webster Group | 5.13% | 1.14% | 0.24% | |
Tyro Payments | 6.46% | 0.94% | 0.20% | |
Elsight | 3.97% | 0.86% | 3.00% | |
Vulcan Energy Resources | 8.15% | 0.85% | 0.32% | |
Alpha HPA | 6.79% | 0.84% | 0.90% | |
Core Lithium | 4.55% | 0.81% | 4.23% | |
Bannerman Energy | 4.99% | 0.80% | -1.60% | |
Metcash | 4.76% | 0.80% | 0.82% | |
Clarity Pharmaceuticals | 9.72% | 0.78% | 1.16% | |
Liontown | 7.19% | 0.73% | 2.14% | |
Pinnacle Investment Management | 6.11% | 0.73% | 1.51% | |
Jumbo Interactive | 2.40% | 0.73% | -4.46% | |
The Lottery Corporation | 9.97% | 0.68% | 3.44% | |
Sunrise Energy Metals | 4.21% | 0.66% | 3.19% | |
IDP Education | 2.35% | 0.65% | -0.43% | |
Champion Iron | 6.64% | 0.63% | 0.28% | |
Iluka Resources | 6.66% | 0.62% | 0.69% | |
Arafura Rare Earths | 6.12% | 0.60% | 2.82% | |
Arena REIT | 3.99% | 0.60% | -0.16% | |
Deep Yellow | 9.33% | 0.57% | -0.34% | |
29Metals | 0.68% | 0.56% | 0.00% | |
Downer | 1.36% | 0.54% | 0.72% | |
BWP Group | 1.54% | 0.52% | 0.17% | |
Generation Development Group | 7.52% | 0.52% | 1.20% | |
Aussie Broadband | 6.39% | 0.51% | 3.48% |
Most Covered
Only two stocks made the cut this week. EQ Resources shorts eased after the tungsten producer posted a record September quarter, with revenue of $158.8 million and cash on hand up 192% quarter-on-quarter to $82.3 million. The catch is that the stock had already run hard into the result, surging as much as 560% year-to-date by 21 September and ballooning its market cap to over $2 billion. The stock tumbled 11.3% to 35 cents on the day (6-Oct) and have slid a further 22% since to 27 cents.
