Hedge funds aggressively ramped up record-breaking short positions on U.S. stocks last week, the highest since 2016 per Goldman Sachs data, amid AI disruption fears and four straight weeks of heavy net equity selling, echoing April’s Liberation Day pace.
In light of this, below is a list of mid-cap stocks with high short interest, ranked according to their Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings. These stocks have short interest ranging from approximately 15.8% to 25.3% and market capitalizations between $2.13B and $4.32B, spanning sectors including energy, entertainment, semiconductors, biotechnology, and airlines.
The list is topped by PBF Energy Inc. (PBF) and Sphere Entertainment Co. (SPHR), both earning Strong Buy ratings with scores of 4.85 and 4.75, respectively. These leaders represent the oil and gas refining sector and the movies and entertainment industry.
Navitas Semiconductor (NVTS), TG Therapeutics (TGTX), and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) round out the next tier, each maintaining Buy ratings despite their elevated short interest levels. BigBear.ai Holdings (BBAI) and Advance Auto Parts (AAP) complete the list, with all stocks earning either a Buy or Strong Buy designation from the Quant system.
Seeking Alpha’s Quant Ratings grade stocks based on their relative performance on critical quantitative measures, including valuation, growth, stock momentum, and profitability. Ratings are given on a scale of 1 to 5, with any score of 3.5 or above considered a bullish rating and any score of 2.5 or below representing a bearish assessment.
Here is the list:
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PBF Energy Inc. (PBF), Quant Rating: 4.85
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Sphere Entertainment Co. (SPHR), Quant Rating: 4.75
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Navitas Semiconductor Corporation (NVTS), Quant Rating: 4.48
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TG Therapeutics, Inc. (TGTX), Quant Rating: 4.21
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JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU), Quant Rating: 4.03
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BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (BBAI), Quant Rating: 4.02
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Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP), Quant Rating: 3.52