Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: September 29, 2026 — 7-Factor Leaderboard
KOD leads the September 29, 2026 squeeze leaderboard at 99.7/100, and seven of the top 10 composite scores also sit on the FINRA threshold list.
TL;DR: As of market close on September 29, 2026, KOD leads Tapeboard's 7-factor squeeze leaderboard with a score of 99.7/100, driven by 27.2% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee.
Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by composite score on September 29, 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 is threshold concentration: seven of the top 10 names are on the FINRA threshold list, which is where a short squeeze setup tends to start.
Today's September 29, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | Mom 5d | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KOD | 99.7 | 27.2% | 0.4% | 3.5 | +169.6% | T |
| 2 | VKTX | 97.2 | 19.9% | 0.6% | 3.1 | -22.1% | T |
| 3 | SMR | 93.5 | 22.4% | 0.4% | 2.0 | -12.7% | T |
| 4 | IOVA | 93.1 | 22.5% | 0.3% | 5.0 | +35.8% | |
| 5 | FCEL | 92.1 | 32.7% | — | 3.7 | -5.4% | |
| 6 | PLAY | 91.7 | 36.8% | 0.4% | 2.9 | -8.8% | T |
| 7 | RARE | 91.5 | 17.5% | 0.3% | 2.3 | -1.9% | T |
| 8 | CIFR | 91.3 | 21.2% | 0.3% | 2.1 | -13.5% | T |
| 9 | CHPT | 88.9 | 21.6% | 4.1% | 1.3 | -3.4% | T |
| 10 | BTBT | 87.2 | 15.8% | — | 2.0 | -11.3% | |
| 11 | CRBP | 84.9 | 18.2% | 0.4% | 2.0 | -15.8% | T |
| 12 | BTDR | 84.7 | 34.3% | 0.3% | 5.3 | -16.8% | |
| 13 | ASAN | 83.1 | 24.3% | 0.3% | 2.4 | -9.4% | T |
| 14 | SDGR | 82.6 | 19.4% | — | 4.9 | -1.2% | T |
| 15 | TE | 82.5 | 34.0% | 4.3% | 3.4 | -13.5% |
*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, September 29, 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, short interest of 15.8% to 36.8% of float and threshold-list membership (7 of 10) carry the scores, while borrow fees stay low: seven of the eight names with a reported fee sit below 1.0%, and CHPT's 4.1% is the exception. IOVA breaks the pattern from the other side. Its 0.3% fee is the lowest in the top 10, and its 93.1 score rests on 5.0 days to cover and 22.5% short interest, with no threshold flag. Short interest carries the largest weight at 35%, so a high float share short lifts a name even when the fee is modest.
Top 5 Names
1. KOD — Squeeze Score 99.7/100
KOD scores highest on short interest, at 27.2% of float, backed by 3.5 days to cover and a 0.4% borrow fee. Secondary signals: the stock is on the FINRA threshold list, and its borrow fee changed by less than 0.01 percentage points over five days. Five-day momentum is +169.6% at a $90.88 price.
2. VKTX — Squeeze Score 97.2/100
VKTX ranks second on a 0.6% borrow fee, the highest among the top five names with a reported fee, plus 19.9% short interest and 3.1 days to cover. It is on the FINRA threshold list. The five-day fee change is unavailable, so the score is reweighted across the remaining factors. Five-day momentum is -22.1%.
3. SMR — Squeeze Score 93.5/100
SMR gets its score mainly from 22.4% short interest against a 0.4% borrow fee. A secondary signal is its place on the FINRA threshold list, while days to cover is 2.0. The five-day fee change is unavailable, so the score is reweighted across the remaining factors. Five-day momentum is -12.7%.
4. IOVA — Squeeze Score 93.1/100
IOVA is driven by 5.0 days to cover, the longest in the top five, together with 22.5% short interest. The borrow fee is 0.3%. IOVA is not on the FINRA threshold list, and its five-day fee change is unavailable, so the score is reweighted across the remaining factors. Five-day momentum is +35.8%.
5. FCEL — Squeeze Score 92.1/100
FCEL has the highest short interest in the top five, at 32.7% of float, with 3.7 days to cover. No borrow fee is reported, so the score is reweighted across the remaining factors. FCEL is not on the FINRA threshold list. Five-day momentum is -5.4% at a $17.05 price.
Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built
Each component is z-scored against the ~500-stock universe, then weighted: 35% short interest as a percentage of float (FINRA), 25% borrow fee (IBKR), 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, and 5% five-day momentum (Schwab). Because short interest and the borrow fee together account for 60% of the score, they set most of the ordering. Read the methodology for the full derivation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?
On September 29, 2026, the top three are KOD (99.7, 27.2% short interest, 0.4% borrow fee), VKTX (97.2, 19.9%, 0.6%) and SMR (93.5, 22.4%, 0.4%). All three are on the FINRA threshold list.
How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?
Each factor is z-scored against a live ~500-stock universe and combined into a 0-100 composite. The weights are 35% short interest, 25% borrow fee, 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover and 5% five-day momentum.
When does short-interest data update?
Short interest lags about two weeks, following the FINRA settlement schedule. Borrow fees update the next day, so the score mixes a lagged input with fresher ones.
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.