Most Shorted Stocks Today: August 20, 2026 — Top 25 Squeeze Candidates
The most shorted stocks on August 20, 2026 are led by RGC with a squeeze score of 56.7 and a 241.1% borrow fee, while high-short-interest names like LCID (34.1% of float) and PATH (29.6%) round out a threshold-flag-heavy board.
On August 20, 2026, RGC tops the Tapeboard squeeze leaderboard with a score of 56.7, driven by a 241.1% annualized borrow fee — the highest on today's board by a wide margin — against just 1.6% short interest as a percentage of float. The broader pattern on today's list is a split board: a handful of names carry extreme borrow costs (LCID at 17.9%, RCEL at 11.0%) while large-cap names like MRNA (13.4% SI) and TROW (12.1% SI) appear on cheap borrow but elevated days-to-cover. Every name in today's top 25 is flagged on the FINRA threshold list, indicating sustained heavy short-side volume.
August 20, 2026 Top 25 Short Squeeze Candidates
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RGC | 56.7 | 1.6% | 241.1% | 4.1 | T |
| 2 | MRNA | 44.2 | 13.4% | 0.4% | 10.2 | T |
| 3 | WB | 36.1 | 19.6% | 1.2% | 21.1 | T |
| 4 | SVRA | 34.9 | 28.3% | 0.4% | 20.1 | T |
| 5 | WPM | 33.6 | 0.9% | 0.4% | 2.5 | T |
| 6 | OPAL | 33.5 | 15.8% | 1.5% | 13.5 | T |
| 7 | EH | 33.1 | 16.4% | 1.4% | 12.0 | T |
| 8 | PATH | 32.9 | 29.6% | 0.3% | 1.4 | T |
| 9 | EDIT | 32.5 | 20.3% | 0.4% | 18.2 | T |
| 10 | TROW | 32.2 | 12.1% | 0.3% | 12.4 | T |
| 11 | LCID | 31.9 | 34.1% | 17.9% | 2.9 | T |
| 12 | CHPT | 31.5 | 22.0% | 4.5% | 13.1 | T |
| 13 | PCRX | 31.4 | 21.4% | 0.4% | 13.4 | T |
| 14 | RCEL | 31.3 | 8.6% | 11.0% | 11.1 | T |
| 15 | FCFS | 31.2 | 5.6% | 0.3% | 4.2 | T |
| 16 | APO | 30.9 | 5.0% | — | 5.8 | T |
| 17 | NOAH | 30.7 | 0.7% | — | 2.5 | T |
| 18 | KOD | 30.4 | 26.0% | 0.4% | 20.6 | T |
| 19 | H | 30.4 | 11.4% | 0.4% | 4.9 | T |
| 20 | FCEL | 30.4 | 24.8% | — | 1.6 | T |
| 21 | MIRM | 29.8 | 13.0% | 0.3% | 12.1 | T |
| 22 | GOLD | 29.6 | 15.6% | 0.4% | 8.3 | T |
| 23 | GE | 29.4 | 1.4% | — | 3.5 | T |
| 24 | CVNA | 29.4 | 10.1% | 0.4% | 6.0 | T |
| 25 | WSM | 29.2 | 4.8% | 0.4% | 6.6 | T |
Highest Borrow Fees on August 20, 2026
1. RGC — Squeeze Score 56.7
RGC is the standout on today's board, and it's a pure high-fee setup. The borrow fee sits at 241.1% annualized — shorts are paying more than double the stock's price per year just to stay in the trade — while short interest is only 1.6% of float and days to cover is a short 4.1 days. Price is $5.39 with +3.8% five-day momentum. This is the classic tight-borrow profile: the fee itself is the pressure. If borrow availability tightens further or lenders recall shares, shorts face forced covering at any price, and even a modest uptick in buying volume could trigger a rapid unwind given the low float utilization of 1.6%.
2. MRNA — Squeeze Score 44.2
MRNA is the opposite profile: a high-SI large-cap on cheap borrow. Short interest is 13.4% of float with 10.2 days to cover, but the borrow fee is only 0.4%, meaning shorts are comfortable and well-supplied. Shares trade at $129.78. A squeeze here would require a fundamental catalyst — something that forces a large, crowded short base to cover into rising prices despite low carrying costs. With float utilization at 13.4%, the fuel is there; what's missing is the spark.
3. WB — Squeeze Score 36.1
WB combines 19.6% short interest with the longest days to cover in today's top five at 21.1 days, at a modest 1.2% borrow fee. The stock is at $7.23, down 5.9% over five days, so shorts are currently winning. The setup is a slow-burn: with 21 days of volume needed to cover, any sustained reversal would trap shorts in a thin exit. If a positive catalyst forces covering, the high days-to-cover figure means the unwind would take weeks, not hours.
4. SVRA — Squeeze Score 34.9
SVRA shows 28.3% of float held short with 20.1 days to cover and a cheap 0.4% borrow fee. Price is $5.40 with +4.2% five-day momentum — one of the few names on the board moving against the shorts. This is a high-SI, high-days-to-cover small-cap with early momentum: if buying continues and the short base (28.3% utilization) starts covering, the 20-day cover window amplifies every uptick. Watch whether momentum holds above the threshold-flagged short volume.
5. WPM — Squeeze Score 33.6
WPM is an unusual entry: only 0.9% of float is short, days to cover is 2.5, and the borrow fee is 0.4% — yet it carries a threshold flag, meaning short-side volume has exceeded 50% of recent trading. At $150.50, this is a threshold-flagged mega-cap where short volume is heavy in absolute terms even though the accumulated position is small. A squeeze here would be flow-driven rather than structural: if the persistent short selling flips to buying, the tape turns quickly because there is no deep short base to defend.
Stocks Flagged on the FINRA Threshold List
The T column marks symbols on the FINRA threshold list — names where short-side volume has exceeded 50% of total volume within the last seven trading days, a sign of sustained heavy short pressure. All 25 names on today's board carry the flag. See /methodology/short-squeeze-score for the full scoring breakdown.
How the Squeeze Score Is Built
The Tapeboard squeeze score is a weighted composite: 35% short interest as a percentage of float (FINRA), 25% borrow fee (IBKR), 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, and 5% five-day price momentum (Schwab). Data is sourced from FINRA, IBKR, Schwab, and SEC filings. Full details at /methodology/short-squeeze-score.
For tomorrow's rankings and real-time updates on every name above, see the live leaderboard.