Short Report: Clear Secure bears cover as strong guidance lifts shares

Welcome to this week’s installment of “The Short Interest Report” – The Fly’s weekly recap of short interest trends among some of the most widely followed high-short-float stocks. Using the data from our partner Ortex.com, which utilizes the latest information from stock lenders to estimate short interest changes for thousands of publicly traded companies, this report will screen for some of biggest changes in short interest as a percentage of free float and days-to-cover ratios while also considering the short interest data on some of the more volatile and heavier-traded names of the week. Based on the availability of data from Ortex, the report tracks the trading period that covers prior Friday through Thursday of this week, excluding holidays. As a basis of comparison for stocks discussed below, the S&P 500 index was flat, the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.6%, the Russell 2000 index up 0.1%, the Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) was up 0.3%, and the Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) was up 0.2% in the five-day trading session range through August 7.

SHORT INTEREST GAINERS

• Ortex-reported short interest in Lucid Group (LCID) had troughed at a two-month low of about 29% heading into the company’s August 5th earnings, though with investors disappointed Lucid’s wider than expected loss, bears are again boosting their exposure. Shorts as a percentage of free float accelerated from 29.5% to 31.8% and days-to-cover on the higher-end EV automaker rose from 4.3 to 5.3, with little relative trading volume increases accompanying its quarterly results. Just three weeks ago, the stock experienced an intra-day spike of nearly 50% when the company announced an autonomous robotaxi partnership with Uber and Nuro, with the aim to deploy 20,000 or more Lucid vehicles equipped with the Nuro Driver over six years. Since then however, all of those gains have been erased. This week, Lucid shares fell 13% in the five-day period covered, and the stock is now down 29.5% year-to-date.
• Ortex-reported short interest in Enovix (ENVX) had fallen to a multi-year low around 19% in late July, though with the stock also reversing much of its recent rally following a modest beat and in-line Q3 outlook after its July 31st earnings, bears are also turning less leary. Shorts as a percentage of free float on the name rose from 19.2% to 22.1%, though days-to-cover is down from 8.4 to 7.8 given the increase in trading volume. Enovix shares were down 18% in the five-day period covered, though even after Friday’s 2% slide, the stock is down just 1% year-to-date.
• Ortex-reported short interest in Frontier Group (ULCC) is flying higher as the stock price has resumed its descend following a wider than expected Q2 loss and disappointing guidance for Q3. Shorts as a percentage of free float on Frontier rose from 27.6% to 31.2%, matching the highs above 31% set in mid- and late-June, while days-to-cover on the budget airline jumped from 5.4 to 6.8 despite large trading volume the day of and the day after earnings on August 5th and 6th. The turbulent stock, meanwhile, was down 24% in the five-day period through Thursday, having fully erased its June 23 to July 29 trough to peak 53% rally and closing in on this year’s low.

SHORT INTEREST DECLINERS

• Ortex-reported short interest in Clear Secure (YOU) is caving after the company reported Q2 results that saw a beat on revenue and also better than expected outlook for sales in Q3. Shorts as a percentage of free float – already down from outsized high-30% levels seen in mid-June – had settled into mid-20% levels but fell further from 24.3% to 21.7% – a three-month low – this week on post-earnings short-covering. Days to cover also retreated from 5.4 to 5.1 as volumes ticked higher. The stock was up as much as 14% intraday following Clear Secure’s results and gained 8.6% overall during the five-day period covered through Thursday. Year-to-date, shares are now up 20%.
• Ortex-reported short interest in Birkenstock (BIRK) is down sharply heading into the company’s Q3 results this coming Thursday. Coming out of its earnings in Q2 in May, the stock jumped a solid 6%. Shorts as a percentage of free float had reached 2025 highs around 25% earlier in the week but collapsed to 16% just as shares slipped to three-week lows. Low trading volume this week lifted the days-to-cover on the name however from 3.4 to 4.2. Over the five-day period covered, Birkenstock shares traded down by 3.2% and have now shed 15% year-to-date.