Most Shorted Stocks Today: October 9, 2026 — Top 25 Squeeze Candidates
On October 9, 2026, PRME leads the most shorted stocks board with a 96.6 squeeze score, 27.9% short interest, a 44.1% borrow fee, and 6.8 days to cover, on a day where 19 of the top 25 names sit on the FINRA threshold list.
On October 9, 2026, PRME tops the Tapeboard squeeze board with a score of 96.6, driven by 27.9% short interest as a percent of float, a 44.1% borrow fee, and 6.8 days to cover. The board is defined by threshold concentration: 19 of the top 25 names carry the T flag, and borrow costs are elevated across the top tier, with RXRX at 46.9%, NVAX at 42.2%, and FCEL at 41.4%. Biotech and small-cap names dominate the upper ranks, while extreme outliers like BIRD at a 1,028.4% borrow fee and CHPT at 375.8% show where stock-loan stress is most acute.
October 9, 2026 Top 25 Short Squeeze Candidates
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PRME | 96.6 | 27.9% | 44.1% | 6.8 | T |
| 2 | RXRX | 96.1 | 34.8% | 46.9% | 6.0 | T |
| 3 | NVAX | 95.0 | 35.0% | 42.2% | 6.3 | T |
| 4 | TWST | 94.2 | 22.6% | 25.0% | 3.9 | T |
| 5 | FCEL | 93.3 | 32.7% | 41.4% | 3.9 | T |
| 6 | HUT | 87.3 | 16.2% | 28.4% | 3.2 | T |
| 7 | ASTS | 86.7 | 24.5% | 78.8% | 4.8 | T |
| 8 | IBRX | 83.4 | 30.8% | 50.4% | 8.6 | T |
| 9 | TE | 80.4 | 34.0% | 208.9% | 3.5 | |
| 10 | SDGR | 79.6 | 19.4% | 25.0% | 3.2 | T |
| 11 | IOVA | 78.9 | 22.1% | 27.8% | 4.4 | |
| 12 | ARCT | 77.8 | 20.9% | 41.4% | 6.6 | T |
| 13 | IREN | 75.5 | 24.0% | 41.4% | 2.2 | |
| 14 | SMR | 73.5 | 22.4% | 45.1% | 2.1 | T |
| 15 | GENI | 72.9 | 17.8% | 41.4% | 4.5 | T |
| 16 | NTLA | 72.7 | 34.8% | 28.3% | 8.1 | T |
| 18 | CIFR | 70.5 | 21.0% | 41.1% | 2.1 | |
| 19 | CHPT | 69.5 | 21.6% | 375.8% | 4.3 | T |
| 20 | NBIS | 69.0 | 20.5% | 33.1% | 2.9 | T |
| 21 | VKTX | 67.7 | 19.9% | 47.7% | 2.4 | |
| 22 | AGEN | 67.5 | 16.9% | 51.7% | 5.8 | T |
| 23 | ABCL | 67.1 | 16.2% | 57.9% | 6.0 | T |
| 24 | ASAN | 66.7 | 24.3% | 41.4% | 2.7 | T |
| 25 | BIRD | 66.7 | 15.8% | 1028.4% | 2.0 | T |
Top 5 Names on October 9, 2026
1. PRME — Squeeze Score 96.6
PRME leads the board at 96.6 with 27.9% of float sold short, a 44.1% borrow fee, 6.8 days to cover, and a T flag. The setup is a high-fee, threshold-flagged small cap trading at $4.00 with 5-day momentum of +33.9%, meaning shorts are already paying up to hold a position that is moving against them. The mechanical trigger here is straightforward: if borrow availability tightens further or the fee climbs past 50%, holding costs force de-risking, and with nearly 7 days of volume needed to cover, exits queue up fast.
2. RXRX — Squeeze Score 96.1
RXRX scores 96.1 on 34.8% short interest, a 46.9% borrow fee, and 6.0 days to cover at a $4.39 share price, with the T flag active. This is the classic high-SI, high-fee profile: one of the heaviest short positions relative to float on the board, paired with a fee that compounds daily against the position. A positive catalyst that forces covering would meet a 6-day cover queue, which is the arithmetic that turns an ordinary rally into a short squeeze.
3. NVAX — Squeeze Score 95.0
NVAX enters the top 5 at 95.0 with 35.0% of float short, the highest SI%Float on today's board, plus a 42.2% borrow fee, 6.3 days to cover, and +21.9% 5-day momentum at $12.69. The T flag confirms sustained heavy short-side volume. With the stock already up double digits over five sessions, shorts are underwater on both price and carry; if momentum holds, the 6.3-day cover window is the constraint that matters.
4. TWST — Squeeze Score 94.2
TWST posts a 94.2 score with 22.6% short interest, a 25.0% borrow fee, and 3.9 days to cover at $160.00, flagged on the threshold list. The fee is the lowest in the top 5, so this is a high-SI momentum-reversal setup rather than a fee-stress setup: 5-day momentum is -15.3%, meaning shorts are currently winning. The squeeze case here is mechanical reversal, if buying pressure returns, the 22.6% short base has to reposition at once.
5. FCEL — Squeeze Score 93.3
FCEL rounds out the top 5 at 93.3 with 32.7% of float short, a 41.4% borrow fee, 3.9 days to cover, and a T flag at $17.96. The shorter cover window means exits are faster than PRME or RXRX, but the combination of one-third of the float short and a 41.4% carry cost keeps pressure elevated. If a catalyst forces covering, the fee makes waiting expensive. Traders reviewing how prior squeeze setups in names like this played out often journal the fee-versus-momentum tradeoff, a workflow tools like TradeZella are built around.
Stocks Flagged on the FINRA Threshold List
The T flag marks symbols on the FINRA threshold list, meaning more than 50% of recent volume was short-side on the FINRA Consolidated NMS daily short-volume file, a sign of sustained heavy short pressure. Nineteen of today's top 25 carry the flag, including every name in the top 8. See /methodology/short-squeeze-score for the full scoring breakdown.
How the Squeeze Score Is Built
The score weights five inputs: 35% SI%Float (FINRA), 25% Borrow Fee, 20% float utilization, 15% Days to Cover, and 5% 5-day momentum, with underlying data sourced from FINRA and SEC filings. Full methodology: /methodology/short-squeeze-score.
What Changed vs the Previous Record
NVAX enters the top 5 at rank 3 (score 95), new to the leader board. HUT drops out of the top 5 (was rank 4, score 91.2). CIFR drops out of the top 5 (was rank 5, score 89).
This record is frozen as of October 9, 2026; for current rankings see the live leaderboard and the full daily archive.