The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 46
This week, short sellers piled into Paladin Energy and covered bearish bets against lithium stock.
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 5 and 12 November 2024
Month-on-month changes between 15 October and 12 November 2024
Most Shorted
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pilbara Minerals | 17.64% | -1.15% | -1.54% | |
Paladin Energy | 15.88% | 1.05% | 2.33% | |
Boss Energy | 15.43% | 0.21% | 1.16% | |
Idp Education | 14.66% | -0.22% | 0.54% | |
Syrah Resources | 13.25% | 0.31% | 0.30% | |
Mineral Resources | 10.15% | 0.28% | -1.85% | |
Deep Yellow | 9.88% | 0.01% | -0.01% | |
Lynas Rare EARTHS | 9.45% | -0.43% | -0.37% | |
Domino's Pizza | 9.42% | 0.04% | 1.93% | |
Liontown Resources | 9.38% | -0.53% | -1.20% |
Key takeaways:
Short interest in lithium stocks is retreating from peak levels across both weekly and monthly timeframes
Paladin Energy has moved to the second-most shorted position, displacing Boss Energy to third place
Rising Shorts
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paladin Energy | 15.88% | 1.05% | 2.33% | |
Endeavour Group | 4.19% | 0.97% | 1.79% | |
Johns Lyng Group | 6.81% | 0.76% | 2.02% | |
Spartan Resources | 2.18% | 0.71% | 0.17% | |
ST George Mining | 2.33% | 0.70% | 0.76% | |
ST Barbara | 2.91% | 0.60% | 1.54% | |
Regis Healthcare | 0.61% | 0.57% | 0.59% | |
Lovisa Holdings | 4.80% | 0.53% | 1.35% | |
Lifestyle Communities | 7.81% | 0.50% | 0.34% | |
Adriatic Metals Plc | 8.85% | 0.50% | 1.59% |
Key takeaways:
Short sellers piled into Paladin Energy after the company downgraded its FY25 production guidance for the Langer Heinrich mine, citing ore grade variability and water supply issues. Paladin shares finished the session (12-Nov) down 28.9% to levels not seen since August 2023
Endeavour Group shares experienced a 10.3% dip between November 8-14 following its Q1 FY25 sales update, which revealed continued pressure on retail comparable sales leading to operating deleverage and downward earnings revisions. The update aligns with similar reports from competitors Woolworths and Coles, highlighting increased promotional activity across the sector as consumer price sensitivity grows. Market sentiment suggests ongoing skepticism about recovery prospects, with persistent concerns about sustained growth challenges, margin pressure from promotional activity, and stubborn cost inflation.
Most Covered
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pilbara Minerals | 17.64% | -1.15% | -1.54% | |
IGO | 2.72% | -0.87% | -0.10% | |
Bellevue Gold | 6.37% | -0.70% | -1.15% | |
Insignia Financial | 1.87% | -0.62% | -2.45% | |
Liontown Resources | 9.38% | -0.53% | -1.20% | |
Droneshield | 3.67% | -0.53% | 1.03% | |
Temple & Webster Group | 1.88% | -0.52% | 0.00% | |
Galan Lithium | 0.98% | -0.50% | 0.27% | |
Capricorn Metals | 0.82% | -0.48% | -1.11% | |
A2 Milk | 4.15% | -0.46% | -1.18% |
Key takeaways:
Short interest in lithium stocks is backing off from record levels. This is taking place in parallel with stabilising prices, with spodumene up around 11% from mid-October lows (from US$750 a tonne to US$835).
Insignia Financial is crushing shorts after an almost 50% rally since early September. The company's FY25 Investor Day (14 Nov) was focused on substantial cost reductions and operational streamlining, particularly within its Master Trust and advice segments. Management set ambitious long-term cost targets, aiming for significant expense reductions and double-digit EBITDA growth by FY30. While analysts see potential upside if targets are achieved, they remain cautious due to the extended timeline to FY30, significant execution risks, and limited visibility on intermediate progress.
