Bears Pounce On Avis Budget, Lucid, MARA — Short Interest In These 10 Stocks Soars Above 40%
Traders are zeroing in on heavily shorted names after the latest FINRA data showed double‑digit jumps in bearish positioning across several mid‑ and large‑cap stocks.
- LCID stock is moving. See the chart and price action here.
Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH) and Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) now sit at the top of the list, with short interest above 50% of float.
EV maker Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) and a handful of travel, crypto and semiconductor plays also screen as potential squeeze candidates based on elevated short interest and sizable market caps.
High‑Short‑Interest Standouts
Below are the top 10 most heavily shorted stocks (market caps above $2 billion, average 14‑day volume above 5 million and free floats above 5 million) based on data from Benzinga Pro as of April 14, 2026:
| Ticker | Company name | Short interest % of float |
| CHH | Choice Hotels International, Inc. | 69.91% |
| CAR | Avis Budget Group, Inc. | 53.66% |
| LCID | Lucid Group, Inc. | 52.24% |
| HTZ | Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. | 50.61% |
| LOAR | Loar Holdings Inc. | 48.14% |
| CLSK | CleanSpark, Inc. | 47.20% |
| PRMB | Perimeter Solutions, SA | 40.66% |
| TMDX | TransMedics Group, Inc. | 40.30% |
| GFS | GlobalFoundries Inc. | 39.94% |
| MARA | Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. | 39.48% |
Travel and Autos in the Crosshairs
The latest reading shows short sellers clustering in travel and auto names, with hotel franchisor Choice Hotels and car‑rental operator Avis Budget both carrying short interest well above 50% of float, a level that often draws squeeze‑chasing traders when momentum turns.
Lucid and Hertz Global Holdings (NASDAQ:HTZ) add an EV and rental‑fleet angle to the bearish bets, suggesting skepticism around demand strength and capital needs in the still‑choppy EV adoption cycle.
Speculation Around Growth, Crypto and Chips
Outside of travel and autos, short sellers appear focused on high‑beta growth and thematic plays.
Loar Holdings (NYSE:LOAR) and TransMedics Group (NASDAQ:TMDX) combine rich growth expectations with relatively modest floats, making them attractive to traders looking for valuation resets if execution stumbles.
CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK) and Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ:MARA) tie the list to Bitcoin‑linked mining economics, while Perimeter Solutions (NYSE:PRMB) and GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) show that shorts are also probing niches in specialty chemicals and semiconductors.
With short interest clustered above 40% across this group, any upside catalyst—such as upbeat guidance, sector‑wide rallies or macro data that eases recession fears—could force rapid covering and fuel sharp squeezes.
Traders will be watching the next set of earnings reports and macro headlines closely to gauge whether bears stay in control or get squeezed out of these crowded trades.
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