Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: September 15, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
BIAF carries the costliest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 854.2% annualized as of September 15, 2026, with 17 names sitting in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on September 15, 2026, BIAF carries the highest IBKR borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 854.2% annualized. The next most expensive names are ATPC at 640.9% and JZ at 598.7%, both as of September 15, 2026.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is BIAF at 854.2% annualized as of September 15, 2026. Fees on today's list span 1.7% to 854.2% annualized; the median is 30.2%. That spread is a reminder that this ranking covers the entire securities-lending universe: ultra-high borrow fee rates in the triple-digit range typically flag distressed, very-low-float, or post-reverse-split names where shares are nearly impossible to locate, rather than conventional short squeeze setups. Cost-to-short is a scarcity signal, not a directional one — the composite squeeze score, which also weighs short interest, price momentum, and volume, is the right tool for evaluating squeeze potential.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIAF | 854.2% | −850.6% |
| 2 | ATPC | 640.9% | −637.3% |
| 3 | JZ | 598.7% | −595.1% |
| 4 | RGC | 214.0% | −210.4% |
| 5 | EZGO | 209.1% | −205.4% |
| 6 | GCTK | 205.6% | −201.9% |
| 7 | XPON | 168.1% | −164.5% |
| 8 | GOVX | 95.3% | −91.6% |
| 9 | NXTC | 85.0% | −81.4% |
| 10 | RAYA | 80.7% | −77.1% |
| 11 | SHFS | 47.7% | −44.0% |
| 12 | BYND | 36.5% | −32.9% |
| 13 | PARA | 30.2% | −26.6% |
| 14 | WKHS | 28.7% | −25.1% |
| 15 | BBIG | 21.5% | −17.9% |
| 16 | ZVSA | 12.5% | −8.9% |
| 17 | NVNI | 11.4% | −7.8% |
| 18 | INDO | 8.6% | −5.0% |
| 19 | RCEL | 5.4% | −1.8% |
| 20 | RUM | 3.7% | −0.1% |
| 21 | SYRA | 3.4% | 0.2% |
| 22 | XRX | 2.7% | 0.9% |
| 23 | OCGN | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| 24 | ALPP | 2.1% | 1.6% |
| 25 | EH | 1.7% | 1.9% |
*Source: IBKR Securities Lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, September 15, 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 15, 2026, 17 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier. The extreme tier is dominated by triple-digit names — BIAF, ATPC, and JZ all carry fees above 598% as of September 15, 2026 — while the hard-to-borrow band includes familiar retail-watched tickers such as BYND at 36.5% and WKHS at 28.7%, both as of September 15, 2026.
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: when few shares are available to borrow, lenders charge more. 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 at 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score, alongside short interest, momentum, and volume inputs; see the methodology for the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of September 15, 2026, the three costliest stocks to borrow in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking are BIAF at 854.2% annualized, ATPC at 640.9%, and JZ at 598.7%. All three sit deep in the extreme tier, where shares are exceptionally scarce in the lending pool.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard classifies annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). On September 15, 2026, 17 names on today's list fall in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tiers.
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 figures, not real-time intraday rates, and they may differ from rates quoted by other brokers.
Data and Methodology
Borrow fee: IBKR Stock Loan Availability data, updated daily each evening, covering the full market-wide universe of IBKR-tracked securities. Rebate rate: IBKR Securities Lending data, where available; a negative rebate means the borrower pays additional cost on top of the 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.