Introduction:
This year has proven challenging for short sellers on Wall Street, with losses totaling nearly $178 billion, as revealed by data from S3 Partners provided to Yahoo Finance. The unexpected and robust nature of the 2023 stock market rally, particularly in the Magnificent Seven stocks, has caught many by surprise. Notably, Alphabet (GOOGL) is the lone tech leader that does not top the list of stocks causing short sellers losses
Market Dynamics and Unexpected Leaders:
The stock market rally in 2023 saw significant gains in companies related to artificial intelligence, such as Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), and Meta (META), all experiencing over 100% growth. As the rally expanded beyond the Magnificent Seven, short sellers faced increasing challenges, especially since the November 1 Fed meeting. Investors increasingly speculated that the Fed might not only halt interest rate hikes but could potentially implement rate cuts sooner than initially projected.
Really Impact on Short Sellers:
The newfound appetite for risk among investors has led to a broad-based rally, impacting short sellers who are more vulnerable to being squeezed during such market conditions. Interactive Brokers chief strategist Steve Sosnick explained that heightened risk appetite makes shorts more susceptible to getting squeezed, contributing to the losses faced by those betting against the market.
Recent Market Trends:
Over the past month, heavily shorted stocks like Carvana (CVNA) and Affirm (AFRM) experienced significant surges amid the fear of missing out (FOMO) rally. Both stocks saw a remarkable rise of more than 75% in the last month alone. In such situations, short sellers are compelled to buy out their positions, leading to further upward momentum in share prices and exacerbating losses for those betting against the stocks. According to S3 data, investors who held positions against Carvana have lost $2.25 billion this year, while Affirm shorts have incurred losses of nearly $1.5 billion.
Shift in Sentiment:
Steve Sosnick highlighted the potential for a change in sentiment, particularly in heavily shorted names that were initially seen as facing headwinds from higher interest rates. The prospect of anticipated rate cuts could lead to a shift in sentiment and impact the dynamics of short selling in the market.