Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: October 8, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
JZ carries the highest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 527.8% annualized as of October 8, 2026, with 14 names sitting in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on October 8, 2026, JZ carries the highest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 527.8% annualized. BIAF ranks second at 381.9% annualized, and XPON ranks third at 131.7% annualized.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is JZ at 527.8% annualized as of October 8, 2026. Fees on today's list span 2.3% to 527.8% annualized; the median is 14.2%. A triple-digit annualized borrow fee typically flags a distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently listed name where shares are nearly impossible to locate in the lending pool, rather than a conventional short squeeze setup.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JZ | 527.8% | −523.9% |
| 2 | BIAF | 381.9% | −378.0% |
| 3 | XPON | 131.7% | −127.9% |
| 4 | PARA | 55.4% | −51.5% |
| 5 | CETX | 43.3% | −39.4% |
| 6 | WKHS | 29.7% | −25.8% |
| 7 | KITT | 28.6% | −24.7% |
| 8 | SES | 28.1% | −24.2% |
| 9 | BYND | 25.2% | −21.3% |
| 10 | VVOS | 15.2% | −11.3% |
| 11 | ATER | 14.5% | −10.6% |
| 12 | GRRR | 14.4% | −10.5% |
| 13 | OPAD | 14.2% | −10.3% |
| 14 | BIRD | 10.5% | −6.6% |
| 15 | LCID | 6.0% | −2.1% |
| 16 | CRMT | 3.9% | −0.0% |
| 17 | ACB | 3.9% | −0.0% |
| 18 | CHPT | 3.7% | 0.2% |
| 19 | IMPP | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| 20 | RUM | 3.3% | 0.6% |
| 21 | HIVE | 3.3% | 0.6% |
| 22 | EVTL | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| 23 | WB | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| 24 | XRX | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| 25 | OCGN | 2.3% | 1.6% |
*Source: securities-lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, October 8, 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 October 8, 2026, 14 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays to keep a short position open. A high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool: when few shares are available to borrow, lenders charge more. 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, and high cost-to-short is not the same as squeeze potential. That is why the borrow fee is weighted 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score, alongside short interest, price momentum, volume, and other factors. See the methodology for the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of October 8, 2026, JZ leads the market-wide ranking at 527.8% annualized, followed by BIAF at 381.9% and XPON at 131.7%. All three sit deep in the extreme tier.
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 at or above 10% signals meaningful scarcity in the lending pool.
Where do these borrow rates come from?
Tapeboard compiles stock-loan borrow fees daily and refreshes them each evening across the full market universe. Rates are daily, not real-time intraday, and may differ from rates quoted by other brokers.
Data and Methodology
The annualized borrow fee is drawn from broker-dealer stock-loan data, updated daily each evening on a market-wide basis. The rebate rate reflects securities-lending data where available; a negative rebate means the borrower pays an additional cost on top of the quoted fee. See the 7-factor composite squeeze ranking, the full daily archive, or the hard-to-borrow leaderboard for the live pillar.
What Changed vs the Previous Record
BIAF enters the top 5 at rank 2 (381.9126% annualized), new to the leader board. XPON enters the top 5 at rank 3 (131.7479% annualized), new to the leader board. TOPS drops out of the top 5 (was rank 2, 197.8% annualized). SES drops out of the top 5 (was rank 4, 44.7% annualized).
This record is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Borrow fees reflect securities-lending conditions reported in daily securities-lending 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.