The 10 Most Shorted ASX Stocks · Week 34, 2026
JBH gets whacked: a 2.43-sigma short spike as PLS and ELD hit top 10
17 Aug 2026 — 21 Aug 2026
Shorting broadened slightly this week: 146 risers vs 116 fallers, with the average short position up +0.01% to 1.49% across 689 stocks. The cleanest signal was JBH, where shorts jumped from 3.16% to 3.85% (+0.70%) — a 2.43-sigma move — alongside a -14.98% weekly price fall to $71.65. The top-10 list also reshuffled, with PLS (10.65%) and ELD (10.59%) marked NEW TO TOP 10, and the most crowded exits sitting in DMP (28.7 days-to-cover) and ELD (32.1 days-to-cover).
By Shorted AI Research · Published · Sourced from official ASIC short position reports (T+4 delay). Methodology · Not financial advice.
This Week's Analysis
The loudest trade this week wasn’t LOT at the top of the table. It was JBH. Short interest in JBH leapt from 3.16% to 3.85% (+0.70%) — a 2.43-sigma jump against its own 13-week pattern — as the share price slid -14.98% to $71.65. That’s not a slow build. That’s shorts piling in while the stock is already on the mat. 1
LOT still wears the crown as the ASX’s most shorted name at 17.19% (+0.12%). But the more tradeable story is the churn underneath it. 1 Two names are now officially in the danger zone: PLS at 10.65% (+0.08%) and ELD at 10.59% (+0.02%), both marked NEW TO TOP 10. PLS has worked its way up from 8.67% to 10.65% across the 13-week series — a steady campaign rather than a one-week lunge. 1 Then there’s the exit math. DMP sits at 12.59% (-0.03%) with 28.7 days-to-cover. CAR is 12.09% (+0.09%) with 27.2 days-to-cover. And ELD’s fresh top-10 entry comes with 32.1 days-to-cover — the highest in the list. If any of these positions flip, liquidity is the whole story. 1 At the other end, the unwind continues: FLT eased again to 11.01% (-0.26%) for a 5-week falling streak, and DRO slipped to 14.98% (-0.23%) for a 3-week falling streak. Same direction, week after week. 1
Daily Snapshots
Top Shorted Stocks This Week
Financial Snapshot
Key financial metrics from recent company reports for the most shorted stocks.
Biggest Risers
Stocks with the largest increase in short interest this week.
Biggest Fallers
Stocks with the largest decrease in short interest this week.
Movers Analysis
The risers list had a simple rhythm: weakness first, shorts second. • JBH: 3.16% → 3.85% (+0.70%), a 2.43-sigma outlier, with the stock down -14.98% on the week. 1 • IRE: 2.29% → 2.93% (+0.64%), its 3rd consecutive weekly rise, while the price fell -7.42% to $6.99 in the same week its FY26 half-year material hit the tape. 1 2 • ORA: 6.49% → 7.04% (+0.54%), its 5th straight weekly rise, with a chunky 21.6 days-to-cover and the share price down -6.45% to $1.45. This isn’t a one-off hedge — it’s a sustained lean. 1 On the cover side, the moves were sharper. • AVH: 0.85% → 0.15% (-0.70%), a -4.13-sigma move, alongside a +7.88% weekly rise to $2.19. Shorts didn’t trim. They ran. 1 • ACL: 7.50% → 6.65% (-0.84%) as the stock jumped +14.41% to $2.70 following its FY26 financial reports. 1 3 And one more worth keeping on the screen: HLS has now logged a 3-week falling streak in short interest to 10.13% (-0.29%) while the price rose +12.20% to $0.46. That’s the kind of price/position combo that can keep feeding itself if it persists. 1 4
Industry Positioning
- Food, Beverage & Tobacco4.63%+0.519 stockstopTWE11.78%
- Automobiles & Components3.61%-1.264 stockstopARB6.09%
- Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail3.58%+0.095 stockstopEDV8.39%
- Health Care Equipment & Services2.65%+0.0433 stockstop4DX12.42%
- Consumer Services2.49%-0.0128 stockstopDMP12.59%
- Class Pend2.24%+0.023 stockstopDGT5.91%
- Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail2.21%+0.0426 stockstopBAP9.61%
- Real Estate Management & Development2.13%+0.059 stockstopLIC7.07%
- Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences1.74%-0.0428 stockstopTLX10.52%
- Banks1.71%+0.049 stockstopBEN3.70%
- Financial Services1.69%+0.0537 stockstopZIP8.16%
- Media & Entertainment1.67%0.0018 stockstopCAR12.09%
The industry tape had two big messages — one push, one pull. Food, Beverage & Tobacco was the clear pressure point: average short interest rose +0.51% to 4.63% across 9 stocks, with TWE the most shorted in the group at 11.78%. 1 Automobiles & Components went the other way hard: average short interest fell -1.26% to 3.61% across 4 stocks, with ARB the most shorted at 6.09%. That’s the biggest aggregate retreat in the breakdown, full stop. 1 Elsewhere, the changes were smaller: Real Estate Management & Development ticked up +0.05% to 2.13% (most shorted: LIC at 7.07%), and Financial Services rose +0.05% to 1.69% (most shorted: ZIP at 8.16%). Media & Entertainment was flat at +0.00% to 1.67%, even with CAR sitting at 12.09% short. 1
Outlook
One thing to watch next week: does JBH’s 3.85% short position hold after a 2.43-sigma spike, or does it fade as quickly as it arrived? If it holds, the follow-through trade is the crowded-exit names — ELD at 10.59% short with 32.1 days-to-cover and DMP at 12.59% with 28.7 days-to-cover — because that’s where any reversal turns into a scramble. 1
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a 2.43 z-score move in JBH short interest mean?
It means JBH’s weekly short-interest change (+0.70%, from 3.16% to 3.85%) was 2.43 standard deviations above its own 13-week norm — an outlier move versus its recent history. [ref-1]
Which ASX stocks are NEW TO TOP 10 most shorted this week?
PLS (10.65%) and ELD (10.59%) are both marked NEW TO TOP 10 in 2026-W34. [ref-1]
Which top-10 short has the highest days-to-cover right now?
ELD has 32.1 days-to-cover (with 10.59% short), the highest in the top 10 this week. [ref-1]
Why did short interest in AVH drop so sharply this week?
AVH short interest fell from 0.85% to 0.15% (-0.70%), a -4.13-sigma move, alongside a +7.88% weekly price rise to $2.19. [ref-1]
Which industry saw the biggest week-on-week drop in average short interest?
Automobiles & Components fell -1.26% to an average 3.61% short, the largest decline in the industry breakdown. [ref-1]
Sources
- ASIC short position data (2026-W34): top 10, risers/fallers, z-scores, streaks, days-to-cover, market stats, industry breakdown, and included weekly price moves(2026-08-17) [asic data]
- IRE FY26 Half Year Results Announcement(2026-08-17) [announcement]
- ACL Appendix 4E and FY26 financial reports(2026-08-17) [financial report]
- HLS FY26 Preliminary Final Report(2026-08-19) [financial report]
Track the live rankings on the most shorted ASX stocks page, watch short squeeze candidates, or see market-wide totals in the ASX short selling statistics.
Data sourced from ASIC short position reports (T+4 delayed). This report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Short selling data may not reflect real-time market conditions.