Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: July 24, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is ZCMD at 839.3% annualized as of July 24, 2026, with 16 names on the market-wide list falling in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on July 24, 2026, ZCMD carries the highest IBKR borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 839.3% annualized. Rounding out the top three, KUST ranks second at 330.7% annualized, and JZ ranks third at 186.9% annualized.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is ZCMD at 839.3% annualized as of July 24, 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 rather than conventional short squeeze setups. In these scenarios, the borrow fee acts as a strict cost-to-short signal indicating severe scarcity in the lending pool, frequently tied to very-low-float stocks or post-reverse-split names facing fundamental distress rather than a genuine squeeze setup.
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 24, 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 24, 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, which also factors in short interest, price momentum, and volume to identify genuine setups. For a deeper dive into how these inputs interact, review the methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of July 24, 2026, the three stocks with the highest borrow fees are ZCMD at 839.3% annualized, KUST at 330.7% annualized, and JZ at 186.9% annualized. These triple-digit rates indicate severe scarcity in the IBKR stock-lending pool. Such extreme costs are typically associated with distressed names or very-low-float stocks rather than standard squeeze setups.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees into four distinct tiers: normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). A fee above 10% crosses into the hard-to-borrow threshold, signaling meaningful friction and cost for short sellers. On July 24, 2026, 16 names on the market-wide list met or exceeded this hard-to-borrow or extreme threshold.
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 figures are daily snapshots rather than real-time intraday rates, meaning actual borrowing costs at the time of trade execution may vary. Furthermore, because lending inventory is broker-specific, these rates may differ from those available at other brokers or clearing platforms.
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.