Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: August 14, 2026 — 7-Factor Leaderboard
NXTC leads the August 14, 2026 squeeze leaderboard with a 65.1 composite score, driven by 58.6% short interest and a 95.9% borrow fee, as biotech names dominate the top ranks.
TL;DR: As of market close on August 14, 2026, NXTC leads Tapeboard's 7-factor squeeze leaderboard with a score of 65.1/100, driven by its 58.6% short interest and a 95.9% annualized borrow fee.
Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by composite score on August 14, 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 top of the board is dominated by extreme borrow costs and heavy short interest, with 21 of the 25 names flagged on the FINRA threshold list, signaling persistent short-side pressure across biotech and tech sectors.
Today's August 14, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | Mom 5d | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NXTC | 65.1 | 58.6% | 95.9% | 1.0 | +40.6% | T |
| 2 | SVRA | 49.7 | 26.2% | 0.4% | 20.8 | -7.7% | T |
| 3 | OCGN | 48.8 | 31.7% | 2.6% | 18.9 | +5.5% | T |
| 4 | BYND | 47.5 | 25.6% | 64.4% | 4.7 | -16.5% | T |
| 5 | CHWY | 47.1 | 12.0% | 0.4% | 3.4 | -4.7% | T |
| 6 | MDXH | 46.9 | — | — | 2.4 | +75.3% | T |
| 7 | NBIS | 44.6 | 29.0% | 0.6% | 3.5 | +47.7% | T |
| 8 | ARCT | 44.5 | 31.5% | 0.4% | 13.5 | +11.1% | T |
| 9 | CAPR | 43.6 | — | — | 3.3 | +0.7% | T |
| 10 | WB | 43.5 | 20.7% | 1.2% | 20.8 | -3.4% | T |
| 11 | LYFT | 43.4 | 26.3% | 0.4% | 9.1 | +0.1% | T |
| 12 | IBRX | 43.3 | 34.1% | 0.7% | 11.9 | -0.9% | T |
| 13 | NRDY | 42.8 | 5.8% | 11.0% | 6.9 | — | T |
| 14 | KRYS | 42.7 | 14.9% | 0.3% | 11.4 | +1.8% | T |
| 15 | BEAM | 42.7 | 35.2% | 0.3% | 10.1 | -2.7% | T |
*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, August 14, 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 top 10 is split between names with extreme borrow fees (NXTC at 95.9%, BYND at 64.4%) and those with very high days-to-cover (SVRA at 20.8, WB at 20.8), showing that both cost-to-borrow and cover-time pressure are driving composite scores. The outlier is MDXH, which carries no reported short interest or borrow fee yet ranks 6th solely on a +75.3% five-day momentum and its FINRA threshold flag, illustrating the weight of price action in the composite. The model's heaviest factor — short interest at 35% — anchors the leaderboard, but the z-scoring allows a momentum-only name to break into the upper tier.
Top 5 Names
1. NXTC — Squeeze Score 65.1/100
NXTC's primary driver is its 58.6% short interest as a percentage of float, the highest in the top 10, combined with a 95.9% annualized borrow fee that signals extreme scarcity of lendable shares. The secondary signal is a +40.6% five-day momentum, which, alongside its FINRA threshold flag, indicates shorts are under active pressure. Days-to-cover is just 1.0, meaning any buy-side burst could force rapid covering.
2. SVRA — Squeeze Score 49.7/100
SVRA's composite is led by a days-to-cover of 20.8, the highest in the top 5, implying that at recent volume it would take nearly three weeks for shorts to unwind. Its short interest stands at 26.2% of float, with a minimal 0.4% borrow fee, so the score is carried by cover-time pressure rather than cost. The stock is down 7.7% over five days, and the FINRA threshold flag adds a regulatory layer to the squeeze thesis.
3. OCGN — Squeeze Score 48.8/100
OCGN combines a 31.7% short interest with a days-to-cover of 18.9, the second-highest in the top 3, creating a slow-burn cover scenario. The borrow fee is modest at 2.6%, and the five-day momentum is positive at +5.5%, suggesting mild buying interest. The FINRA threshold flag is present, and the 5-day fee change of -0.8 percentage points shows borrowing costs are easing slightly.
4. BYND — Squeeze Score 47.5/100
BYND is driven by a 64.4% borrow fee, the second-highest on the entire leaderboard, reflecting severe hard-to-borrow conditions. Its short interest is 25.6% of float, and days-to-cover is 4.7, but the negative five-day momentum of -16.5% is a drag on the composite. The FINRA threshold flag is active, and with no fee-change data, the score is reweighted across the remaining factors.
5. CHWY — Squeeze Score 47.1/100
CHWY's score comes from a moderate 12.0% short interest and a low 0.4% borrow fee, but its days-to-cover of 3.4 and a -4.7% five-day momentum keep it in the top 5. The FINRA threshold flag is the key secondary signal, indicating that at least 50% of recent volume has been short-side. No fee-change data is available, so the composite relies on the other six factors.
Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built
The Tapeboard squeeze score is a weighted composite of five core factors, each z-scored against a live ~500-stock universe: 35% short interest as a percentage of float (from FINRA), 25% annualized borrow fee (from IBKR), 20% float utilization (derived from exchange data), 15% days to cover (computed from volume), and 5% five-day price momentum (from Schwab). The composite is recomputed nightly to reflect the latest settlement and trading data. For the full derivation, see the methodology. Data is attributed solely to FINRA, IBKR, Schwab, SEC, and the exchanges (NYSE/NASDAQ).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?
The top three are NXTC (score 65.1, short interest 58.6%, borrow fee 95.9%), SVRA (score 49.7, short interest 26.2%, borrow fee 0.4%), and OCGN (score 48.8, short interest 31.7%, borrow fee 2.6%). These names lead the composite due to high short interest, elevated borrow costs, or extended days-to-cover metrics.
How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?
The score is a weighted, z-scored composite of seven factors: short interest (35%), borrow fee (25%), float utilization (20%), days to cover (15%), and five-day momentum (5%), plus two threshold flags from FINRA that act as modifiers. Each factor is standardized against a ~500-stock universe to ensure comparability across sectors and market caps.
When does short-interest data update?
Short interest is reported on a ~2-week lag per the FINRA settlement schedule, so the figures in this leaderboard reflect positions as of the most recent settlement date, not today. Borrow fees update on a next-day basis from IBKR stock-loan availability, providing a more timely signal on hard-to-borrow conditions.
Data and Methodology
- Squeeze score: Tapeboard composite, recomputed nightly from seven z-scored factors.
- Short interest: FINRA, ~2-week settlement lag.
- Borrow fee: IBKR stock-loan availability, daily.
- Short-volume threshold: FINRA 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.