New analysis from GraniteShares ETPs a global issuer of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) with more than $ 1.5 billion under management, reveals that on October 23rd 2023, online fashion giant Boohoo Group was the most shorted UK listed company.
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Will Rhind, Founder and CEO at GraniteShares
Some 7.21% of its stock was held short by seven investment firms, the largest position was Eleva Capital SAS, at 1.70%.
Retailers claimed the top three spots with ASOS and Kingfisher in second and third positions, with 7.14% and 6.33% of their stock held short by eight and seven fund managers respectively.
This was followed by Metro Bank and Hargreaves Lansdown, which were the fourth and fifth most shorted companies with 6.30% and 5.15% of their stock held short by three and six investment firms respectively.
Will Rhind, Founder and CEO of GraniteShares:
“Retailers look vulnerable in the UK, as the country faces a rough economic outlook arising on the back of the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. It is no surprise retailers dominate the list of the most shorted stocks, as institutions hope to profit from falling share prices. Shorting isn’t right for all investors, but we have seen rising interest from sophisticated retail traders who want to use short ETPs like ours to protect their portfolio or profit from falling markets.”
The table shows the largest ten short positions in companies that are listed and trading on the London Stock Exchange.
| Company | Percentage of stock held short | Number of funds shorting the stock |
| Boohoo Group | 7.21% | 7 |
| ASOS PLC | 7.14% | 8 |
| Kingfisher PLC | 6.33% | 7 |
| Metro Bank Holdings Plc | 6.30% | 3 |
| Hargreaves Lansdown PLC | 5.15% | 6 |
| Ocado Group PLC | 4.92% | 7 |
| Abrdn plc | 4.12% | 6 |
| ITM Power PLC | 4.11% | 3 |
| J. Sainsbury PLC | 4.08% | 3 |
| Drax Group PLC | 3.45% | 4 |
Source: London Stock Exchange, updated on October 23rd 2023
The analysis also revealed GLG Partners LP held the highest number of short positions on UK listed companies of any investment firms, with 46 active shorts. This was followed by Marshall Wace LLP and BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, which held 25 and 16 active shorts respectively.
The table shows the 10 fund managers with the highest number of short positions on companies that are listed and trading on the London Stock Exchange.
| Fund Manager | Number of short positions |
| GLG Partners LP | 46 |
| Marshall Wace LLP | 25 |
| BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited | 16 |
| Qube Research & Technologies Limited | 11 |
| JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Ltd | 9 |
| AQR Capital Management, LLC | 7 |
| Arrowstreet Capital, Limited Partnership | 7 |
| Ennismore Fund Management Limited | 7 |
| Millennium International Management LP | 7 |
| Canada Pension Plan Investment Board | 6 |
Source: London Stock Exchange, updated on October 23rd 2023
Source: ETFWorld.co.uk
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