Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: August 27, 2026 — 7-Factor Leaderboard
CELU leads Tapeboard's August 27, 2026 squeeze leaderboard at 39.2/100 on a day when 14 of the top 15 names sat on the FINRA short-volume threshold list.
TL;DR: As of market close on August 27, 2026, CELU leads Tapeboard's 7-factor squeeze leaderboard with a score of 39.2/100, driven by a 10.2 days-to-cover and +13.2% five-day price momentum.
Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by composite score on August 27, 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 today is threshold concentration: 14 of the top 15 names on the short squeeze leaderboard currently sit on the FINRA threshold, with at least 50% of recent volume on the short side.
Today's August 27, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | Mom 5d | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CELU | 39.2 | — | — | 10.2 | +13.2% | |
| 2 | RGC | 37.9 | 1.6% | 258.9% | 4.1 | — | T |
| 3 | BX | 37.7 | 2.9% | — | 4.2 | — | T |
| 4 | KOD | 37.0 | 26.0% | 0.3% | 20.6 | -1.8% | T |
| 5 | URGN | 36.0 | 10.6% | — | 6.6 | — | T |
| 6 | SVRA | 35.8 | 28.3% | 0.4% | 20.1 | 0.0% | T |
| 7 | PCRX | 33.4 | 21.4% | 0.4% | 13.4 | +8.4% | T |
| 8 | OCGN | 33.3 | 31.8% | 2.5% | 21.6 | -1.4% | T |
| 9 | LXRX | 33.0 | 12.5% | 0.4% | 12.5 | — | T |
| 10 | IMUX | 32.8 | 12.1% | 0.8% | 10.1 | — | T |
| 11 | TRIP | 32.4 | 25.5% | 0.4% | 11.7 | -2.4% | T |
| 12 | TROW | 32.2 | 12.1% | 0.3% | 12.4 | — | T |
| 13 | BEAM | 31.9 | 36.5% | 0.3% | 13.3 | +7.4% | T |
| 14 | WKHS | 31.4 | 24.9% | 29.6% | 10.8 | +0.6% | T |
| 15 | MAR | 31.3 | 2.0% | 0.4% | 3.4 | — | T |
*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, August 27, 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
Eight of the top 10 names are biotech or pharma, and the common thread is elevated short interest paired with long cover times: KOD, SVRA, and OCGN each carry 20+ days to cover with SI between 26.0% and 31.8% of float. The outlier is RGC, which ranks second at 37.9 despite only 1.6% SI and 4.1 days to cover — its 258.9% annualized borrow fee, the highest on the board, dominates the 25% fee weight. BX at 37.7 is the other low-SI name in the top three, with its score reweighted across threshold status and the remaining factors.
Top 5 Names
1. CELU — Squeeze Score 39.2/100
CELU tops the board at 39.2 with short interest and borrow fee unavailable in today's feed, so its score reweighted across the remaining factors. The primary driver is a 10.2 days-to-cover reading paired with +13.2% five-day momentum, the strongest momentum print in the top 15. CELU is the only top-15 name not currently on the FINRA short-volume threshold list.
2. RGC — Squeeze Score 37.9/100
RGC scores 37.9 almost entirely on borrow cost: a 258.9% annualized fee, by far the highest in today's 25-stock scan. Short interest is just 1.6% of float and days to cover is 4.1, so the fee component carries the composite. The fee eased 0.1 percentage points over the last five sessions. RGC is on the FINRA threshold list.
3. BX — Squeeze Score 37.7/100
BX ranks third at 37.7 with 2.9% of float sold short and 4.2 days to cover. Borrow fee and momentum data were unavailable today, so the score reweighted across the remaining factors, with its FINRA threshold status and short-volume ratio doing the heavy lifting. It is the only Financial Services name in the top three.
4. KOD — Squeeze Score 37.0/100
KOD posts 37.0 on a classic high-SI profile: 26.0% of float short and 20.6 days to cover, the third-longest cover time on the board. Its borrow fee is cheap at 0.3% and fell 0.1 points over five days, while momentum ran -1.8%. KOD sits on the FINRA threshold list.
5. URGN — Squeeze Score 36.0/100
URGN rounds out the top five at 36.0 with 10.6% of float short and 6.6 days to cover. Fee and momentum data were unavailable, so the score reweighted across the remaining factors, anchored by threshold status. Traders reviewing how these composites behaved against their own fills can compare journaling tools such as TradeZella alongside the raw factor data.
Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built
The composite weights five published components: 35% SI % of float (FINRA), 25% borrow fee (IBKR), 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, and 5% five-day momentum (Schwab), each z-scored against a ~500-stock universe before weighting. Full details are in the methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?
By composite score on August 27, 2026: CELU at 39.2 (10.2 days to cover), RGC at 37.9 (1.6% SI, 258.9% borrow fee), and BX at 37.7 (2.9% SI, 4.2 days to cover). These are composite rankings, not raw short-interest rankings.
How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?
Each factor — SI% of float, borrow fee, float utilization, short-volume ratio, days to cover, momentum, and fee change — is converted to a z-score against a ~500-stock universe, then combined using the published weights. Missing inputs trigger reweighting across the remaining factors.
When does short-interest data update?
Short interest lags roughly two weeks, published per the FINRA settlement schedule. Borrow fees update next-day from IBKR stock-loan availability, and short-volume threshold data refreshes daily from FINRA Consolidated NMS.
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.