A company with 10 million shares sold short and a stated 100 million-share float has 10% short interest relative to that float; source date and denominator matter.
Trading
Short interest
Shares sold short that have not yet been bought back or otherwise covered.
Plain-English context
Put the definition to work.
Specify shares or percentage, denominator and reporting date. It is not an up-to-the-minute tally or a forecast of a squeeze.
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