The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 5
Short sellers continue to bet against the uranium sector, Domino's Pizza and The Star Entertainment.
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 13 and 21 January 2025
Month-on-month changes between 27 December 2024 and 21 January 2025
Most Shorted
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Boss Energy | 18.85% | 0.52% | 1.86% | |
Paladin Energy | 15.43% | -0.49% | -2.77% | |
Pilbara Minerals | 13.54% | -0.39% | -0.55% | |
Domino's Pizza Enterprises | 13.44% | 0.22% | 1.30% | |
Syrah Resources | 13.05% | -0.11% | 0.23% | |
Idp Education | 12.78% | 0.33% | 0.54% | |
Mineral Resources | 12.47% | -0.20% | -0.03% | |
Megaport | 10.83% | 0.19% | 0.96% | |
Deep Yellow | 10.56% | 0.00% | -0.33% | |
Liontown Resources | 9.96% | -0.14% | 0.43% |
Key takeaways:
Boss Energy and Paladin Energy remain the most shorted stocks on the market
No major changes among the top shorted stocks
Rising Shorts
Ticker | Company | Short % | Week-on-Week | Month-on-Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Star Entertainment | 9.73% | 0.96% | 3.20% | |
Droneshield | 7.39% | 0.88% | 3.30% | |
Bellevue Gold | 6.95% | 0.65% | 1.57% | |
Mirvac Group | 4.46% | 0.58% | 1.34% | |
Boss Energy | 18.85% | 0.52% | 1.86% | |
Nib Holdings | 3.47% | 0.47% | 0.72% | |
Cettire | 7.98% | 0.47% | 1.02% | |
Lovisa Holdings | 4.36% | 0.37% | 0.31% | |
Brainchip Holdings | 2.80% | 0.35% | -0.76% | |
Rural Funds Group | 4.29% | 0.34% | 0.58% | |
Idp Education | 12.78% | 0.33% | 0.54% | |
Seek | 7.27% | 0.33% | 1.12% | |
Whitehaven Coal | 3.01% | 0.31% | 0.60% |
The Star's short interest has been climbing to consecutive record highs since Thursday, 9 January. This surge followed the company's announcement that its cash position had dropped to $79 million by the end of the December quarter 2024, down sharply from $149 million in the previous quarter. Short sellers appear to be betting on further balance sheet pressures and worsening business conditions.
Bellevue Gold has fueled bearish sentiment among short sellers after downgrading its full-year guidance on Tuesday. The revised production guidance of 150-165koz reflects an 8.7% cut (at the midpoint) from its previous estimate of 165-180koz. Additionally, all-in sustaining costs were raised by 11.1% to A$1,900-2,100 per ounce, up from the prior range of A$1,750-1,850.
Most Covered
Mesoblast raised $260 million on Tuesday, 14 January, through a global private placement at $2.05 per share, a 10.8% discount to its previous close. The placement was predominantly supported by its existing shareholders in the US, UK, and Australia. Short sellers were right to cover their positions ahead of the news, with the stock rallying around 13% from 14 to 28 January.
Karoon Energy is often considered one of the market’s cheapest stocks. Morgan Stanley analysts project free cash flow yields of 19.6% in FY24, 19.1% in FY25, and 17.0% in FY26. Despite its strong earnings outlook, the company faces challenges, including a poor track record of meeting production guidance and concerns that it may prioritise M&A over returning capital to shareholders via buybacks and dividends.
