Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: September 10, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
BIAF leads Tapeboard's market-wide hard-to-borrow ranking at 1005.5% annualized as of September 10, 2026, with 11 names sitting in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on September 10, 2026, BIAF carries the highest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 1005.5% annualized. The next costliest names are ATPC at 619.0% and JZ at 585.8% annualized.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is BIAF at 1005.5% annualized as of September 10, 2026. Fees on today's list span 0.9% to 1005.5% annualized; the median is 4.5%. The borrow fee is the annualized cost a short seller pays to keep a borrowed position open, and rates in the triple-digit range typically flag distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently listed names where shares are nearly impossible to locate in the lending pool — not conventional short squeeze setups. That distinction matters: a high fee is a cost-to-short signal, not a bullish catalyst by itself.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIAF | 1005.5% | −1001.8% |
| 2 | ATPC | 619.0% | −615.4% |
| 3 | JZ | 585.8% | −582.1% |
| 4 | TC | 313.8% | −310.2% |
| 5 | GCTK | 220.1% | −216.5% |
| 6 | INM | 171.3% | −167.7% |
| 7 | GOVX | 96.8% | −93.1% |
| 8 | NXTC | 93.3% | −89.7% |
| 9 | CDIO | 68.5% | −64.8% |
| 10 | NRDY | 11.4% | −7.8% |
| 11 | ZVSA | 11.4% | −7.8% |
| 12 | LCID | 4.6% | −1.0% |
| 13 | OPTT | 4.5% | −0.8% |
| 14 | ALPP | 3.3% | 0.3% |
| 15 | CRMT | 3.2% | 0.4% |
| 16 | OCGN | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| 17 | SVRA | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| 18 | WB | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| 19 | XRX | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| 20 | BARK | 1.7% | 2.0% |
| 21 | OPAL | 1.6% | 2.1% |
| 22 | CAN | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| 23 | GRPN | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| 24 | RNA | 1.0% | 2.7% |
| 25 | PHUN | 0.9% | 2.7% |
*Source: Securities Lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, September 10, 2026 10:50 PM ET. Market-wide ranking across all tracked securities. Not investment advice.*
Borrow-Fee Tiers
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). On September 10, 2026, 11 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
The extreme tier is dominated by the nine names above 50% — TC at 313.8%, GCTK at 220.1%, INM at 171.3%, GOVX at 96.8%, NXTC at 93.3%, and CDIO at 68.5% alongside the top three, all as of September 10, 2026. NRDY at 11.4% and ZVSA at 11.4% round out the hard-to-borrow band. At these rates, holding a short position for even a few weeks can cost more than the thesis is worth.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays to maintain a position. A high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool — when few shares are available to borrow, the loan rate rises. It does not by itself predict a squeeze. Names with triple-digit fees are often distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently IPO'd stocks where shares are almost impossible to locate; a high cost-to-short is not the same as squeeze potential. A genuine squeeze candidate typically pairs an elevated fee with high short interest, price momentum, and unusual volume — which is why the borrow fee is weighted 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score rather than used as a standalone signal. See the methodology for the full weighting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of September 10, 2026, the top three are BIAF at 1005.5% annualized, ATPC at 619.0%, and JZ at 585.8%. All three sit deep in Tapeboard's extreme tier, meaning the annualized cost of borrowing exceeds the position's notional value.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). Anything in the hard-to-borrow band or higher materially changes the economics of holding a short position.
Where do these borrow rates come from?
Tapeboard compiles Securities Lending borrow fees daily and refreshes them each evening across the full market universe. These rates are daily, not real-time intraday, and may differ from rates quoted by other brokers.
Data and Methodology
The borrow fee is drawn from broker-dealer stock-loan data, updated daily each evening across the full market-wide universe. The rebate rate comes from Securities Lending data where available; a negative rebate means the borrower pays additional cost on top of the quoted fee. See today's full squeeze analysis for the 7-factor composite ranking, or the hard-to-borrow leaderboard for the live pillar.
This post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Borrow fees reflect securities-lending conditions reported in the daily stock-loan data; they are not real-time intraday rates and may differ from rates at other brokers. A high borrow fee does not constitute a buy or sell signal. Short selling carries unlimited downside risk. Editor: Marcus Reilly.