Nearly 1 in 5 SpaceX shares available to trade is sold short

Published: Friday, July 24, 2026 at 10:34 am

SpaceX Stock Faces Significant Short Interest Post-IPO

Just over a month after its initial public offering, SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) stock is experiencing considerable downward pressure, with a substantial portion of its publicly available shares being sold short. Market data reveals that short interest has reached 111,298,613 shares, accounting for 17.43% of the company's public float. This means that approximately one in every five SpaceX shares available for trading is subject to bearish bets from investors anticipating a price decline.

Short selling involves investors borrowing shares with the expectation of repurchasing them later at a lower price, thus profiting from the difference. The current short interest figures suggest a growing skepticism surrounding the company's valuation and future prospects.

At the time of reporting, SpaceX shares were trading at $118.24, marking a 23.49% decrease over the past month. Further analysis of the data indicates a short interest ratio of 1.60 days to cover. This metric suggests that it would take short sellers roughly 1.6 trading days to buy back all the borrowed shares, based on the stock's average daily trading volume. While this ratio is considered relatively low, the sheer volume of shares sold short highlights the significant scale of bearish sentiment among investors.

Additionally, off-exchange short volume has been notable, reaching 24.95 million shares with an off-exchange short volume ratio of 65.53%. This suggests that a considerable amount of short-selling activity is taking place on alternative trading platforms, away from traditional exchanges.

With over 111 million shares sold short, representing 17.43% of the public float, SpaceX is positioned as one of the most heavily shorted large-cap stocks in the market. This trend appears to align with earlier concerns raised by analysts regarding the substantial discrepancy between the company's IPO market capitalization of $1.77 trillion and its reported revenue and losses in the first quarter of 2026. Investors will be closely watching the upcoming August 4 earnings report, which could potentially influence market sentiment and impact the stock's trajectory.

BNN's Perspective:
The significant short interest in SpaceX stock following its IPO warrants attention. While short selling can be a natural part of market dynamics, such a high percentage suggests that a considerable number of investors are betting against the company's current valuation. This sentiment may be driven by concerns about the company's financial performance relative to its market capitalization, as noted by analysts. The upcoming earnings report will be a critical event, offering a clearer picture of the company's operational health and potentially shifting investor sentiment. A moderate approach would involve observing the earnings results and subsequent market reactions before drawing definitive conclusions about the stock's long-term prospects.

Tags: SpaceX, SPCX, short interest, IPO, public float, bearish investors, short selling, stock price, market capitalization, revenue, losses, earnings report, Fintel, Finbold

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