short interest

American  

noun

Finance.

1. the total amount by which a single seller or all sellers are short in a particular stock or commodity or in the market as a whole.

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Etymology

Origin of short interest

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

That means short interest is growing faster than active long interest, “reflecting a sustained deterioration in positioning balance,” Unterman wrote.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

A report suggests the deal could increase GameStop’s share count and push short interest to 50% of float, potentially spiking borrow costs.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Short interest in Hertz stands at nearly 20% of float, while short interest accounts for 22.4% of Avis’s float, according to FactSet data.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

The short interest in the stock was nine million shares as of March 31, the latest date for which information is available, according to Bloomberg.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

More than that, they knew how much stock was in actual circulation or held by the street, and beyond that, a close approximation of how great a short interest had accrued.

From Rockhaven by Munn, Charles Clark