Short & Caught: Flight Centre back on top of most shorted ASX stocks at end of 2022

News Nadine McGrath
ASX short FLT

Pic:Getty Images

  • Flight Centre regains position as the most shorted stock on the ASX
  • Asset manager Perpetual has climbed to ASX’s second most shorted stock
  • Betmakers Technology Group sees its short position almost halve during December

How does shorting work?

Shorting works by selling stocks you do not actually own in the hope of buying them back at a lower price. Investors are in effect betting they will fall.

Because shorting is restricted under Australian law, any substantial shorting of stocks is worth knowing about, even if you only trade long.

Stockhead has utilised the number of short positions as a percentage of total shares on issue. The most ASX shorted stocks  (excluding CDIs) all have 5% or more.

 

The most shorted stocks on ASX

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Code Company Short positions Shares on issue % short positions
FLT FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL ORDINARY 28,641,938 200,154,524 14%
PPT PERPETUAL LIMITED ORDINARY 7,114,977 57,308,133 12%
MP1 MEGAPORT LIMITED ORDINARY 17,686,891 158,165,115 11%
SYA SAYONA MINING LTD ORDINARY 879,041,696 8,684,031,536 10%
CXO CORE LITHIUM ORDINARY 147,515,163 1,838,319,419 8%
BRG BREVILLE GROUP LTD ORDINARY 10,770,379 142,781,365 8%
LKE LAKE RESOURCES ORDINARY 104,740,915 1,391,648,709 8%
BET BETMAKERS TECH GROUP ORDINARY 69,908,610 933,093,666 7%
ZIP ZIP CO LTD.. ORDINARY 56,430,848 765,365,865 7%
CHN CHALICE MINING LTD ORDINARY 27,425,842 376,447,194 7%
TPW TEMPLE & WEBSTER LTD ORDINARY 8,297,251 120,893,504 7%
NXT NEXTDC LIMITED ORDINARY 31,281,985 456,699,580 7%
NAN NANOSONICS LIMITED ORDINARY 20,278,515 302,029,520 7%
VUL VULCAN ENERGY ORDINARY 9,620,654 143,435,301 7%
PBH POINTSBET HOLDINGS ORDINARY 20,478,088 305,679,271 7%
ABB AUSSIE BROADBAND ORDINARY 15,728,161 237,665,276 7%
DMP DOMINO PIZZA ENTERPR ORDINARY 5,806,680 88,857,769 7%
BRN BRAINCHIP LTD ORDINARY 108,906,645 1,726,862,144 6%
CUV CLINUVEL PHARMACEUT. ORDINARY 2,961,183 49,410,338 6%
NIC NICKEL INDUSTRIES ORDINARY 159,322,444 2,731,273,497 6%
AMA AMA GROUP LIMITED ORDINARY 62,320,996 1,073,070,217 6%
MTS METCASH LIMITED ORDINARY 55,078,350 965,541,602 6%
AMI AURELIA METALS LTD ORDINARY 68,489,057 1,237,437,216 6%
SGM SIMS LIMITED ORDINARY 10,689,347 193,147,649 6%
ARB ARB CORPORATION. ORDINARY 4,472,815 81,971,722 5%
JBH JB HI-FI LIMITED ORDINARY 5,890,719 109,333,981 5%
29M 29 METALS LIMITED ORDINARY 25,603,499 481,356,099 5%
IEL IDP EDUCATION LTD ORDINARY 14,772,725 278,336,211 5%
AWC ALUMINA LIMITED ORDINARY 152,246,465 2,901,681,417 5%
WEB WEBJET LIMITED ORDINARY 19,742,868 382,536,484 5%
BLD BORAL LIMITED. ORDINARY 56,574,871 1,103,088,419 5%
NVX NOVONIX LIMITED ORDINARY 24,712,555 486,679,904 5%
CGC COSTA GROUP HOLDINGS ORDINARY 23,552,231 464,546,466 5%
UMG UNITED MALT GROUP ORDINARY 15,004,488 299,179,135 5%
PNI PINNACLE INVESTMENT ORDINARY 9,977,101 201,264,056 5%
BOQ BANK OF QUEENSLAND. ORDINARY 32,155,168 652,485,010 5%
PDN PALADIN ENERGY LTD ORDINARY 146,323,699 2,979,870,830 5%
MYX MAYNE PHARMA LTD ORDINARY 83,979,501 1,739,815,508 5%
FFX FIREFINCH LTD ORDINARY 56,803,532 1,181,243,221 5%
SHV SELECT HARVESTS ORDINARY 5,731,763 120,950,818 5%
ING INGHAMS GROUP ORDINARY 17,544,174 371,679,601 5%
GUD G.U.D. HOLDINGS ORDINARY 6,445,998 140,894,696 5%
MFG MAGELLAN FIN GRP LTD ORDINARY 8,190,171 181,509,883 5%
ACL AU CLINICAL LABS ORDINARY 9,093,358 201,834,015 5%
PME PRO MEDICUS LIMITED ORDINARY 4,695,533 104,432,253 4%
CXL CALIX LIMITED ORDINARY 8,097,819 180,450,691 4%
GOR GOLD ROAD RES LTD ORDINARY 47,591,310 1,075,932,298 4%
CIA CHAMPION IRON LTD ORDINARY 22,636,745 517,193,126 4%
KGN KOGAN.COM LTD ORDINARY 4,542,049 107,044,098 4%
MSB MESOBLAST LIMITED ORDINARY 30,929,235 737,121,218 4%
WordPress Table

 

Flight Centre back as most shorted stock

After a couple of months reprieve Flight Centre (ASX:FLT), which has been the most shorted stock on the ASX for most of 2022, is back on top.

Adversely affected by the covid-19 pandemic, the travel sector and FLT have been recovering throughout the year as Australia’s borders started to reopen domestically and internationally.

The FLT share price is down ~11% in the past month and ~24% year to date.

 

Perpetual climbs to second spot

Fund manager Perpetual (ASX:PPT) has seen its short position rise 3% in the past month and it’s now the second most shorted stock on the ASX.

On December 23 shareholders of former rival fund manager Pendal (ASX:PDL) supported the company’s takeover by PPT in a $2 billion deal.

“Pendal shareholders have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed merger with Perpetual, which will bring two iconic financial services firms together to create one of Australia’s largest ASX-listed asset managers,” Pendal chair Deborah Page AM said in an ASX announcement.

 

Betmakers sees improvement in short position

Betmakers Technology Group (ASX:BET), which overtook FLT as the most shorted ASX stock in November,  has had some Christmas cheer with  its short position almost halving in the past month to 8%.

BET operates a platform model providing the back-end technology for bookmakers primarily in horse racing.

The company has seen its shares fall 3.57% in the past month and 34% year to date.

 

The FLT, PPT & BET share price today:

 

 

Short sellers punt against lithium stocks

Short sellers have also been targeting the lithium sector , which up until recently has been a favourite among investors in 2022.

Among lithium stocks  on the ASX most shorted list is Sayona Mining (ASX:SYA), Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) and Lake Resources (ASX:LKE).

As Stockhead’s Lithium Queen Jessica Cummins reported yesterday weak investor sentiment has continued to impact lithium stocks over the past few months.

Recession, inflation, China’s failed covid-19 strategy and, most recently, a softening of lithium prices from their record highs have all had an impact.

 

The SYA, CXO & LKE share price today:

 

 

Health and retail stocks short selling target

Health and retail stocks continue to be a target of short sellers at the end of 2022. It has been a tough year for the ASX health sector, which has been out of favour with investors.

On the retail front Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan expect a $23.5 billion spend by Boxing Day bargain hunters between December 26 and January 15.

But after the sales end, realities of rising cost of living and inflation is forecast to catch up to consumers. 

Among healthcare and retail stocks on the list are Nanosonics (ASX:NAN) which has seen its short position improve from 7% at the start of December and Temple & Webster (ASX:TPW). The TPW short position remains unchanged at 7% in the past month.

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