Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: July 17, 2026 — 7-Factor Leaderboard
GRPN tops Tapeboard's July 17, 2026 7-factor composite squeeze leaderboard with a score of 69.9/100, standing out against a dominant field of low-priced names carried by extreme days-to-cover signals.
TL;DR: As of market close on July 17, 2026, GRPN leads Tapeboard's 7-factor squeeze leaderboard with a score of 69.9/100, driven by its 67.5% short interest and a 1.5% annualized borrow fee.
Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 21 stocks by composite score on July 17, 2026, combining seven factors: short interest as a percentage of float, annualized borrow fee, float utilization, the FINRA Consolidated NMS short-volume ratio, days to cover, five-day price momentum, and week-over-week borrow-fee change — each z-scored against a live ~500-stock universe. The dominant pattern across today's top 10 is a cluster of low-priced securities carrying a 999.9-day days-to-cover reading, flagged alongside one prominent Retail sector name displaying verified short-interest data and a FINRA threshold flag.
Today's July 17, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | Mom 5d | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GRPN | 69.9 | 67.5% | 1.5% | 6.1 | +6.8% | T |
| 2 | ABSKF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 3 | ACCEF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 4 | ACIRF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 5 | ACKAF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 6 | ACSHF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 7 | ADDLF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 8 | ADDTF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 9 | ADNGF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 10 | AEDGF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 11 | AFTLF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 12 | AIMWF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 13 | AIPXF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 14 | AKBKF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — | |
| 15 | AKCPF | 63.0 | — | — | 999.9 | — |
*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, July 17, 2026. Seven factors z-scored vs a ~500-stock universe. Short interest per FINRA settlement schedule; borrow fees from IBKR stock-loan availability; short-volume from FINRA Consolidated NMS. Not investment advice.*
What Drove Today's Rankings
The dominant signal pattern across the top 10 is a cluster of illiquid, low-priced securities carrying a 999.9-day days-to-cover reading, which mathematically forces an extreme z-score in that component. GRPN breaks this pattern as the only name in the top 10 with reported short-interest and borrow-fee data, carrying a 67.5% SI% Float alongside a 1.5% borrow fee. The composite weighs SI% Float at 35% and Borrow Fee at 25%, anchoring GRPN’s top rank through verified short-interest metrics rather than the null-factor reweighting seen in the tied 63.0-score names.
Top 5 Names
1. GRPN — Squeeze Score 69.9/100
GRPN earns its top rank primarily through a 67.5% short interest as a percentage of float, supported by a 6.1 days-to-cover reading. The secondary signals include a 1.5% annualized borrow fee with a +0.2 percentage point change over the last 5 days, compounded by an active FINRA threshold flag and +6.8% five-day price momentum.
2. ABSKF — Squeeze Score 63.0/100
ABSKF carries a 999.9 days-to-cover reading as its primary driver, with the score reweighted across the remaining factors due to null short-interest and borrow-fee data. The Real Estate sector name trades at 1.005474 and lacks a FINRA threshold flag.
3. ACCEF — Squeeze Score 63.0/100
ACCEF is driven by a 999.9 days-to-cover reading, with the score reweighted across the remaining factors given null short-interest and borrow-fee inputs. This Telecommunication sector stock trades at 7.213645 and does not carry a FINRA threshold flag.
4. ACIRF — Squeeze Score 63.0/100
ACIRF relies entirely on a 999.9 days-to-cover reading for its rank, with the score reweighted across the remaining factors. The Real Estate sector security is priced at 0.9599 and has no FINRA threshold flag.
5. ACKAF — Squeeze Score 63.0/100
ACKAF is pushed into the top five by a 999.9 days-to-cover reading, with the score reweighted across the remaining factors. The Consumer products sector name trades at 5.524513 and does not display a FINRA threshold flag.
Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built
The Tapeboard short squeeze composite is a 7-factor z-score model. The weights are: 35% SI% Float (FINRA), 25% Borrow Fee (IBKR), 20% Float Utilization, 15% Days to Cover, and 5% 5-day momentum (Schwab). The FINRA Consolidated NMS short-volume ratio and the week-over-week borrow-fee change complete the seven-factor framework. The model is recomputed nightly against a live ~500-stock universe to normalize outliers. See the methodology for the full z-score calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?
As of July 17, 2026, the top three short-squeeze candidates by composite score are GRPN with a score of 69.9/100 and a 67.5% SI% Float, followed by ABSKF and ACCEF, which both hold composite scores of 63.0/100 with null short-interest data. GRPN carries a 1.5% annualized borrow fee, while ABSKF and ACCEF have null borrow-fee inputs.
How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?
Tapeboard calculates its squeeze score by z-scoring seven distinct factors—short interest as a percentage of float, annualized borrow fee, float utilization, FINRA Consolidated NMS short-volume ratio, days-to-cover, five-day price momentum, and week-over-week borrow-fee change—against a live ~500-stock universe. The z-scores are then weighted at 35% for SI% Float, 25% for Borrow Fee, 20% for Float Utilization, 15% for Days to Cover, and 5% for 5-day momentum.
When does short-interest data update?
Short interest data updates on an approximate two-week lag per the FINRA settlement schedule, meaning current positions reflect trades from roughly 14 days prior. Borrow fees from IBKR stock-loan availability and FINRA Consolidated NMS short-volume data update on a daily, next-day basis.
Data and Methodology
- Squeeze Score: Tapeboard composite, recomputed nightly.
- Short Interest: FINRA, ~2-week settlement lag.
- Borrow Fee: IBKR stock-loan availability, daily.
- Short-Volume Threshold: FINRA threshold Consolidated NMS, daily.
- Momentum: Schwab, end-of-day.
See today's highest borrow fees for the full hard-to-borrow ranking, or the live squeeze leaderboard for tomorrow's update.
This post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Short selling carries unlimited downside risk. A quantitative composite does not predict price, and past squeezes are not indicative of future moves. Editor: Marcus Reilly.