Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: July 23, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
As of July 23, 2026, ZCMD carries the highest IBKR borrow fee at 839.3% annualized, with 16 names falling into the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on July 23, 2026, ZCMD carries the highest IBKR borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 839.3% annualized. KUST follows at 330.7% as of July 23, 2026, and JZ ranks third at 186.9% as of July 23, 2026.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is ZCMD at 839.3% annualized as of July 23, 2026. Fees on today's list span 3.1% to 839.3% annualized; the median is 12.5%. Ultra-high rates in the triple-digit range typically flag distressed or nearly un-locatable names—such as very-low-float stocks, post-reverse-split securities, or recent IPOs—rather than conventional short squeeze setups. A high borrow fee is a cost-to-short signal reflecting scarcity in the lending pool, but it must be evaluated alongside short interest, price momentum, and volume to assess actual squeeze potential.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZCMD | 839.3% | −835.7% |
| 2 | KUST | 330.7% | −327.0% |
| 3 | JZ | 186.9% | −183.3% |
| 4 | LCID | 98.4% | −94.7% |
| 5 | INM | 52.2% | −48.6% |
| 6 | BIAF | 40.2% | −36.6% |
| 7 | WKHS | 26.7% | −23.1% |
| 8 | KITT | 22.9% | −19.2% |
| 9 | ONDS | 17.0% | −13.3% |
| 10 | NRDY | 16.4% | −12.8% |
| 11 | RCEL | 14.2% | −10.6% |
| 12 | GRRR | 13.2% | −9.6% |
| 13 | LGVN | 12.5% | −8.9% |
| 14 | BIRD | 10.8% | −7.1% |
| 15 | AISP | 10.6% | −6.9% |
| 16 | OPAD | 10.4% | −6.7% |
| 17 | BYND | 9.7% | −6.1% |
| 18 | CRMT | 9.4% | −5.8% |
| 19 | ACB | 7.5% | −3.9% |
| 20 | ALPP | 6.9% | −3.3% |
| 21 | RUM | 6.6% | −3.0% |
| 22 | CHPT | 5.7% | −2.0% |
| 23 | SOS | 5.1% | −1.5% |
| 24 | ABCL | 5.0% | −1.4% |
| 25 | OCGN | 3.1% | 0.6% |
*Source: IBKR Securities Lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, July 23, 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 July 23, 2026, 16 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays; a high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool. 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. Borrow fee is weighted 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score; see the methodology for the full 7-factor framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of July 23, 2026, ZCMD carries the highest borrow fee at 839.3% annualized, followed by KUST at 330.7% and JZ at 186.9%. These are the top three in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking of IBKR securities-lending rates.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). Today, 16 names fall into the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
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 quotes, and may differ from rates at other brokers.
Data and Methodology
- Borrow fee: IBKR Stock Loan Availability, updated daily each evening, market-wide.
- Rebate rate: IBKR Securities Lending data, where available.
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.