More than 25% of NYSE stocks sold short

Shorting is more significant than anecdotal evidence suggests. The high percentage of short sales may be attributed to the rise in the number of hedge funds.

Data analysing short sales made on the New York Stock Exchange from February to the end of July this year show that shorting is more significant than anecdotal evidence suggests. About 300 million of 1.16 billion shares traded daily are sold short, reveal the data, put together by Robert Shapiro, chairman of economics consultancy Sonecon and former under secretary of commerce for economic affairs.

Shapiro analysed all trades transacted through the Super Designated Order Turnaround System (SDOT) over a six-month period.

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