Stocks:  (HD)(LOW)

Some of Wall St.’s more skilled players are betting against any near-term recovery at Home Depot. Short interest in the company’s shares rose by 7.295 million to 32.79 million at mid-November.

Shares in the big home improvement retailer have rallied some. The stock traded at $33 in August. Now, on good days, it trades around $38.

But, housing starts continue to dip, and the holiday are upon us. Home Depot rival Lowe’s warned about its earnings on November 20.And, over the last month, HD shares have actually outperformed LOW.

Maybe that is about to end.

Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at douglasamcintyre@247wallst.com. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about.