2026-08-17-highest-borrow-fee-stocks
---|--------|----------------------|-------------| | 1 | GCTK | 299.3% | −295.7% | | 2 | INM | 178.3% | −174.7% | | 3 | JZ | 119.5% | −115.8% | | 4 | DRMA | 103.0% | −99.4% | | 5 | GOVX | 90.2% | −86.5% | | 6 | NXTC | 88…
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on August 17, 2026, GCTK carries the highest IBKR borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 299.3% annualized. INM follows at 178.3% and JZ at 119.5%, both also in triple-digit territory. Across the top 25, 21 names sit in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is GCTK at 299.3% annualized as of August 17, 2026. Fees on today's list span 7.3% to 299.3% annualized; the median is 19.6%. Ultra-high rates in the triple-digit range typically flag distressed or nearly un-locatable names rather than conventional short squeeze setups. These are stocks where the lending pool is effectively empty — often post-reverse-split, very low float, or in stressed sectors — and the cost to borrow fee reflects that scarcity, not necessarily a catalyst for upward price action.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GCTK | 299.3% | −295.7% |
| 2 | INM | 178.3% | −174.7% |
| 3 | JZ | 119.5% | −115.8% |
| 4 | DRMA | 103.0% | −99.4% |
| 5 | GOVX | 90.2% | −86.5% |
| 6 | NXTC | 88.3% | −84.6% |
| 7 | PHIO | 41.7% | −38.1% |
| 8 | PARA | 30.6% | −26.9% |
| 9 | EBET | 27.2% | −23.6% |
| 10 | FNGR | 26.0% | −22.3% |
| 11 | BBIG | 22.7% | −19.1% |
| 12 | BYND | 20.0% | −16.4% |
| 13 | TOPS | 19.6% | −16.0% |
| 14 | ZVSA | 16.0% | −12.4% |
| 15 | OPAD | 13.7% | −10.0% |
| 16 | CGC | 12.4% | −8.8% |
| 17 | RCEL | 11.7% | −8.1% |
| 18 | GETY | 11.3% | −7.7% |
| 19 | VVOS | 10.8% | −7.1% |
| 20 | NRDY | 10.5% | −6.9% |
| 21 | BIRD | 10.1% | −6.4% |
| 22 | ACON | 8.8% | −5.2% |
| 23 | CYDY | 7.8% | −4.2% |
| 24 | AISP | 7.7% | −4.1% |
| 25 | SPWR | 7.3% | −3.7% |
*Source: IBKR Securities Lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, August 17, 2026 10:50 PM ET. Market-wide ranking across all IBKR-tracked securities. Not investment advice.*
Borrow-Fee Tiers
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). On August 17, 2026, 21 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier. The extreme tier — fees above 50% — is reserved for situations where shares are nearly impossible to source; today that includes the top six names, led by GCTK at 299.3%. The hard-to-borrow tier (10-50%) spans the next 15 names, from PHIO at 41.7% down to BIRD at 10.1%. Only four names on this list fall in the elevated tier (2-10%), and none are in the normal range.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays to hold a position overnight. A high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool — fewer shares available to borrow means lenders can charge more. It does NOT by itself predict a squeeze; names with triple-digit fees are often distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently IPO'd stocks where shares are almost impossible to locate — high cost-to-short is not the same as squeeze potential. The fee is one input into a broader picture: short interest shows how crowded the short side is, while price momentum and volume determine whether a squeeze is actually building. In Tapeboard's framework, the borrow fee is weighted 25% in the methodology for the composite squeeze score; the other 75% comes from short interest, price action, and liquidity factors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of August 17, 2026, the top three are GCTK at 299.3% annualized, INM at 178.3%, and JZ at 119.5%. All three carry negative rebate rates, meaning borrowers pay an additional cost beyond the fee itself — a sign of extreme scarcity in the lendable pool.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees into four tiers: normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). Anything at or above 10% is considered hard-to-borrow, and fees above 50% are extreme — typically reserved for shares that are nearly impossible to locate for lending.
Where do these borrow rates come from?
Tapeboard compiles IBKR Securities Lending borrow fees daily and refreshes them each evening across the full market universe. These rates are daily snapshots, not real-time intraday data, and they may differ from rates quoted at other brokers due to differences in inventory and lending demand.
Data and Methodology
- Borrow fee: IBKR Stock Loan Availability data, updated daily each evening, market-wide across all IBKR-tracked securities.
- Rebate rate: IBKR Securities Lending data, where available; negative values indicate the borrower pays an additional cost beyond the stated fee.
See today's full squeeze analysis for the 7-factor composite ranking, or the hard-to-borrow leaderboard for the live pillar.
This post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Borrow fees reflect securities-lending conditions reported in IBKR's daily data; they are not real-time intraday rates and may differ from rates at other brokers. A high borrow fee does not constitute a buy or sell signal. Short selling carries unlimited downside risk. Editor: Marcus Reilly.