Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: August 24, 2026 — 7-Factor Leaderboard
RGC topped Tapeboard's August 24, 2026 squeeze leaderboard with an 85.2 composite score, in a session where an extreme 258.0% borrow fee and universal FINRA threshold-list concentration defined the top ranks.
TL;DR: As of market close on August 24, 2026, RGC leads Tapeboard's 7-factor squeeze leaderboard with a score of 85.2/100, driven by its 1.6% short interest and a 258.0% annualized borrow fee.
Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by composite score on August 24, 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 in today's top 10 is FINRA threshold concentration: every name on the leaderboard sits on the threshold list, and the widest gaps between candidates come from borrow costs rather than raw short interest. This is what separates a composite short squeeze ranking from a simple most-shorted-stocks list.
Today's August 24, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | Mom 5d | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RGC | 85.2 | 1.6% | 258.0% | 4.1 | -1.1% | T |
| 2 | BIAF | 61.1 | 61.4% | — | 1.5 | -1.0% | T |
| 3 | PAAS | 51.6 | 1.4% | — | 1.6 | — | T |
| 4 | WB | 46.3 | 19.6% | 1.4% | 21.1 | -7.4% | T |
| 5 | ALXO | 45.8 | 8.1% | 0.4% | 13.3 | — | T |
| 6 | SVRA | 45.4 | 28.3% | 0.4% | 20.1 | +3.5% | T |
| 7 | OCGN | 43.3 | 31.8% | 1.3% | 21.6 | -1.1% | T |
| 8 | KOD | 42.7 | 26.0% | 0.4% | 20.6 | -9.2% | T |
| 9 | CSIQ | 42.1 | 35.8% | 1.1% | 7.5 | -3.2% | T |
| 10 | GRBK | 41.6 | 5.5% | 0.4% | 7.6 | — | T |
| 11 | EH | 41.2 | 16.4% | 1.0% | 12.0 | — | T |
| 12 | ROOT | 40.6 | 16.5% | 0.4% | 10.4 | — | T |
| 13 | RCEL | 40.5 | 8.6% | 9.4% | 11.1 | — | T |
| 14 | JKS | 40.5 | 9.4% | 0.4% | 4.5 | — | T |
| 15 | BEAM | 40.4 | 26.6% | 0.3% | 11.3 | +4.5% | T |
*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, August 24, 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
Across the top 10, days to cover clustered tightly between 7.5 and 21.6 days for seven names, with WB (21.1), OCGN (21.6), KOD (20.6), and SVRA (20.1) all above 20 days — the crowded-cover profile did the heavy lifting for the middle of the board. The outlier is GRBK, which carries a 0.4% borrow fee and just 5.5% short interest, ranking on days to cover (7.6) and threshold status instead. Because the composite is z-scored rather than absolute, one extreme component — RGC's 258.0% fee — can dominate a single name's score without distorting the rest of the ranking.
Top 5 Names
1. RGC — Squeeze Score 85.2/100
RGC ranks first almost entirely on borrow cost: a 258.0% annualized fee, up 13.5 percentage points over the last five trading days. Short interest is only 1.6% of float and days to cover is 4.1, so the fee component is the clear primary driver. The name sits on the FINRA threshold list, with five-day momentum of -1.1%.
2. BIAF — Squeeze Score 61.1/100
BIAF posts the highest short interest on the board at 61.4% of float, which anchors its second-place score. No borrow fee was reported for the session, so the score reweighted across the remaining factors. Days to cover is just 1.5 and five-day momentum is -1.0%, with the stock flagged on the FINRA threshold list.
3. PAAS — Squeeze Score 51.6/100
PAAS shows 1.4% short interest and 1.6 days to cover, with neither borrow fee nor five-day momentum reported — the score reweighted across the remaining factors. Its threshold-list status and float utilization carry the composite. Traders reviewing how fee-driven versus SI-driven setups behave often log both profiles in a journal such as TradeZella for later comparison.
4. WB — Squeeze Score 46.3/100
WB combines 19.6% short interest with 21.1 days to cover, the second-longest cover window in the top five. Its borrow fee is a modest 1.4%, up 0.4 percentage points over five days, so crowding rather than cost drives the score. Five-day momentum is -7.4%, and the name is on the FINRA threshold list.
5. ALXO — Squeeze Score 45.8/100
ALXO rounds out the top five with 8.1% short interest, a 0.4% borrow fee, and 13.3 days to cover. Five-day momentum was not reported, so the score reweighted across the remaining factors. The threshold flag and the double-digit cover window are the secondary supports behind its composite.
Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built
The composite weights the methodology as follows: 35% SI% of float (FINRA), 25% borrow fee (IBKR), 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, and 5% five-day momentum (Schwab), with the short-volume ratio and fee change incorporated from FINRA and exchange data. Each factor is z-scored against the live universe before weighting, which is why a single extreme reading — like today's 258.0% fee — lifts one name without compressing everyone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?
The top three on August 24, 2026 are RGC (85.2 score, 1.6% SI, 258.0% borrow fee), BIAF (61.1 score, 61.4% SI, no fee reported), and PAAS (51.6 score, 1.4% SI, no fee reported). All three are on the FINRA threshold list.
How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?
Each of the seven factors is z-scored against a ~500-stock universe, then weighted: 35% SI% of float, 25% borrow fee, 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, 5% momentum, plus short-volume and fee-change components. Missing values are reweighted across the remaining factors.
When does short-interest data update?
Short interest lags roughly two weeks under the FINRA settlement schedule, so today's SI figures reflect an earlier settlement date. Borrow fees update next-day from IBKR stock-loan availability.
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 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.