The Data Gap
Official short interest figures provided by FINRA are published only twice a month and carry an inherent lag of approximately eight to eleven business days. This delay often renders the data obsolete in fast-moving markets. To gain an edge, professional analysts rely on near-real-time estimates from platforms like Ortex, which model short interest using securities-lending data.
Why It Matters
High short interest is a primary ingredient for potential short squeezes. By monitoring utilization rates, cost-to-borrow (CTB) fees, and days-to-cover metrics in real-time, traders can identify when a stock is becoming a 'crowded' short bet before the official, stale data is released to the public.
Signal data sourced from Ortex. This post is an original analysis prepared by The Forensic Ledger from publicly available data. Not investment advice.
Not investment advice. This is original reporting and analysis prepared by The Forensic Ledger from publicly available data. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Always consult the original source and a licensed professional. See our full disclaimer and source-citation policy.