The 10 most shorted ASX stocks plus the biggest risers and fallers – Week 32
A weekly ASX short-selling recap (data lagged 4 days) lists the 10 most shorted stocks and the biggest changes in short interest. Healius entered the top ten, replacing Treasury Wine. Lotus Resources saw a 57.5% one-day short-interest dip after a $60m raise at 22c. Web Travel Group’s short interest fell ahead of a guidance beat and up to $90m buyback; shares rose 17.1%.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The actionable signal is positioning. The clearest tradable catalyst in the text is Webjet’s 1H26 guidance beat plus an on-market buyback, which coincided with a large same-day rally and declining short interest. For Polynovo, the article links rising shorts to a FY26 trading update that missed consensus and flagged weaker US sales and commercial momentum.
Market read
Traders can use the short-interest changes as a sentiment/positioning overlay, but the article itself is not a new fundamental event for most names. The Webjet and Polynovo sections provide the most concrete catalyst linkage to price action and shorting behavior.
What to watch
Short-interest reporting is delayed and not mandatory until three business days after trades, so the snapshot may lag the latest fundamental developments and price moves.
Background
This is a weekly recap of the most heavily shorted ASX stocks and the biggest week-on-week changes in short interest, using data that lags by four days.
Ticker impact
Telix Pharmaceuticals is in the most shorted group, with short interest essentially unchanged week-on-week (-0.01%) but down month-on-month (-0.56%).
Potential for stabilization rather than fresh downside.
The article provides short-interest deltas only; without new trial or guidance details, the signal is weak.
CAR Group is listed among the most shorted ASX stocks, with short interest down 0.12% week-on-week.
Mild upward drift possible if the trend continues.
The article does not provide a new CAR-specific fundamental catalyst, only short-interest movement.
Lotus Resources remains among the most shorted, with short interest 22.49% and week-on-week -0.31%, month-on-month -0.33%.
High volatility risk remains due to elevated short %, but direction is unclear from the small declines.
The article notes a prior one-day dip tied to a $60m raise at 22 cents, but the newest disclosed changes are modest WoW/MoM.
Market effects
Signals shifting sentiment across ASX healthcare, travel, and industrials, but without sector-wide regulatory or macro triggers.
Primarily affects Australian small-to-mid caps where short interest is meaningful; limited spillover to broader ASX indices implied.
Low, as the catalyst set is company-specific short-interest and guidance/buyback details for ASX-listed names.
Counterpoint
Rising short interest can coincide with oversold conditions; if the market is already pricing bad news, shorts may be late and vulnerable to squeezes.
Key entities
- ASX-listed companyWebjet (Web Travel Group)
Guidance update on 29 July topped revenue margin and FY26 EBITDA expectations, with an on-market buyback up to $90m; stock rallied 17.1% on the day.
- ASX-listed companyPolynovo
FY26 trading update on 23 July showed sales up 21.1% to $102.1m but short of consensus, with second-half US slowdown commentary; short interest rebuilt to 9.58%.
- ASX-listed companyHealius
Joined the top ten most shorted, with short interest up 0.55% week-on-week and 0.52% month-on-month.
- ASX-listed companyLotus Resources
Remains highly shorted at 22.49% short %, with the article referencing a prior $60m raise at 22 cents per share tied to a one-day dip.
