Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: September 14, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
BIAF carries the costliest borrow fee at 825.9% annualized as of September 14, 2026, with 17 names in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on September 14, 2026, BIAF carries the highest IBKR borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 825.9% annualized. The next most expensive names are ATPC at 638.8% and JZ at 615.0%.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is BIAF at 825.9% annualized as of September 14, 2026. Fees on today's list span 2.7% to 825.9% annualized; the median is 29%. For context, an ultra-high annualized borrow fee in the triple-digit range typically flags a distressed issuer, a very-low-float stock, a recent IPO, or a post-reverse-split name where shares are nearly impossible to locate in the lending pool — it is a cost-to-short signal, not a conventional short squeeze setup.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIAF | 825.9% | −822.2% |
| 2 | ATPC | 638.8% | −635.1% |
| 3 | JZ | 615.0% | −611.4% |
| 4 | TC | 259.2% | −255.5% |
| 5 | RGC | 221.5% | −217.8% |
| 6 | GCTK | 209.4% | −205.8% |
| 7 | ATXG | 87.4% | −83.8% |
| 8 | SHOT | 86.3% | −82.7% |
| 9 | NXTC | 85.4% | −81.8% |
| 10 | FNGR | 63.5% | −59.9% |
| 11 | BYND | 30.2% | −26.6% |
| 12 | PARA | 30.1% | −26.5% |
| 13 | PHIO | 29.0% | −25.4% |
| 14 | WKHS | 27.2% | −23.6% |
| 15 | GRRR | 18.6% | −15.0% |
| 16 | OPAD | 13.8% | −10.2% |
| 17 | NRDY | 11.2% | −7.6% |
| 18 | RCEL | 6.2% | −2.6% |
| 19 | OPTT | 5.1% | −1.5% |
| 20 | PRSO | 4.9% | −1.3% |
| 21 | RUM | 4.3% | −0.7% |
| 22 | ACB | 4.0% | −0.4% |
| 23 | GLBS | 3.7% | −0.1% |
| 24 | CRMT | 3.5% | 0.1% |
| 25 | XRX | 2.7% | 0.9% |
*Source: IBKR Securities Lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, September 14, 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 September 14, 2026, 17 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
Ten names — BIAF, ATPC, JZ, TC, RGC, GCTK, ATXG, SHOT, NXTC, and FNGR — sit in the extreme tier above 50% as of September 14, 2026. The hard-to-borrow tier (10-50%) includes BYND at 30.2%, PARA at 30.1%, PHIO at 29.0%, WKHS at 27.2%, GRRR at 18.6%, OPAD at 13.8%, and NRDY at 11.2%.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays to maintain a short position. A high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool — brokers can only lend shares that exist in inventory, and when locate supply dries up, the fee rises. Critically, a high fee 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. That is why the borrow fee is weighted 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score, alongside short interest, price momentum, volume, and other factors — see the methodology for the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of September 14, 2026, the three most expensive stocks to borrow are BIAF at 825.9% annualized, ATPC at 638.8%, and JZ at 615.0%. All three sit deep in Tapeboard's extreme tier above 50%.
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%). Anything at or above 10% is considered hard-to-borrow, and triple-digit rates typically indicate shares that are nearly impossible to locate.
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 are daily rates, not real-time intraday figures, and they may differ from rates quoted by other brokers.
Data and Methodology
Borrow fee: IBKR Stock Loan Availability data, updated daily each evening on a market-wide basis. Rebate rate: IBKR Securities Lending data, where available. A negative rebate rate means the borrower pays additional cost on top of the quoted fee; a positive rebate partially offsets it. 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.