The 10 Most Shorted ASX Stocks · Week 5, 2026
26 Jan 2026 — 30 Jan 2026
Boss Energy (BOE) stayed the ASX’s most shorted stock at 16.69% (+0.51% WoW), and the rest of the uranium-adjacent cluster also got heavier: Silex Systems (SLX) 9.02% (+0.82%) and Deep Yellow (DYL) 7.87% (+0.27%). The week’s cleanest tell was Australian Clinical Labs (ACL), where shorts jumped from 2.52% to 4.05% (+1.52%), even as the market’s average short position slipped -0.06% WoW. [ref-1]
By Shorted AI Research · Published · Sourced from official ASIC short position reports (T+4 delay). Methodology · Not financial advice.
The market’s average short position fell -0.06% week-on-week. The top of the table didn’t get the memo. BOE is now 16.69% short (+0.51%), and it’s dragging company: SLX at 9.02% (+0.82%) and DYL at 7.87% (+0.27%). Shorts aren’t trimming uranium exposure — they’re adding to it. 1
Every stock in this week’s top 10 saw short interest rise WoW — a rare “no relief” read on the most crowded names. 1 At the top, BOE sits at 16.69% (+0.51%). Next is GYG at 14.07% (+0.36%), where the valuation tension is obvious: FY25 NPAT was $14.5 million, while the stock screens on a P/E of 153.1. 1 2 FLT is third at 11.98% (+0.48%). The business printed FY2025 revenue of 2,783,944 ($m) and flagged FY25 UPBT guidance of $280 million to $300 million, but the short line keeps creeping higher. 1 3 TLX holds 11.82% (+0.40%). Then the resources block resumes: SLX at 9.02% (+0.82%), LYC at 8.91% (+0.67%), ILU at 7.95% (+0.32%), DYL at 7.87% (+0.27%), and IPX at 7.75% (+0.28%). BRG is the consumer wildcard in the middle at 8.35% (+0.37%). 1
Key financial metrics from recent company reports for the most shorted stocks.
Stocks with the largest increase in short interest this week.
Stocks with the largest decrease in short interest this week.
The week’s biggest repositioning was ACL: 2.52% → 4.05% (+1.52%). In a market where the average short is 1.12% across 406 names, that’s a meaningful shift in a single print. 1 Then there’s AX1: 5.02% → 5.94% (+0.92%). Shorts added even with FY25 NPAT of $57.7 million, total sales of $1.62 billion, and total dividends declared during the year of 7.00 cents per share (fully franked). That’s not a bet that last year was ugly — it’s a bet that the next one is. 1 4 On the cover list, TPW was the cleanest unwind: 1.52% → 0.69% (-0.83%). APX also eased: 2.77% → 2.06% (-0.72%). EOS slid 1.65% → 0.97% (-0.69%), and APZ fell 1.32% → 0.80% (-0.52%). 1
This week’s table reads like two trades running in parallel. Trade one: uranium and adjacent resources execution risk. BOE (16.69%), SLX (9.02%) and DYL (7.87%) all added shorts WoW, and LYC (8.91%) and ILU (7.95%) keep the broader materials complex crowded. 1 Trade two: consumer names where the numbers are fine, but the market wants a bigger margin of safety. GYG is still pinned at 14.07% short, FLT is 11.98%, BRG is 8.35%, and AX1’s short line moved up to 5.94% in the risers list. 1
Watch whether BOE can keep absorbing fresh shorts after printing a FY2025 net loss after tax of $34.2 million — because at 16.69% short, it doesn’t take much of a narrative shift for positioning to become the story. 1 5
Boss Energy (BOE) was the most shorted at 16.69%, up +0.51% week-on-week. [ref-1]
Australian Clinical Labs (ACL) rose from 2.52% to 4.05%, a +1.52% increase. [ref-1]
Yes. BOE increased to 16.69% (+0.51%), SLX increased to 9.02% (+0.82%), and DYL increased to 7.87% (+0.27%). [ref-1]
Temple & Webster (TPW) fell from 1.52% to 0.69% (-0.83%), and Appen (APX) fell from 2.77% to 2.06% (-0.72%). [ref-1]
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.
