Cars and Drivers

Short Sellers Pulling Out of EV Stocks as Share Prices React to Meme Buying

Lordstown Motors Corp.

Short interest moves among automakers’ stocks were mostly down during the two-week reporting period that ended on June 15.  Of the companies we watch, short interest decreased on six of seven electric vehicle makers while increasing by more than 10% on one of the traditional carmakers. Share price moves on the nine stocks trended higher during the two-week period with six of the EV makers posting increases. All nine stocks were trading in the green in Friday’s premarket session.

Tesla Inc. (NYSE: TSLA) short interest dipped by 2% during the latest two-week period. Short sales total 39.36 million shares (about 5.1%) of Tesla’s total float. It would take two days for short sellers to cover their positions — the same as the previous period — and the share price slipped by about 4.1% in the two-week reporting period. The stock’s 52-week range is $189.70 to $900.40 and it closed at $679.82 on Thursday. Shares were trading up by about 1.3% in Friday’s premarket session.

Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) short interest tumbled by 22% in the two-weeks period through June 15. About 43.15 million shares are short, representing approximately 25% of the company’s total float. Nikola’s share price rose by 4.3% during the reporting period, and the stock currently trades up about 19.5% year to date. The stock’s 52-week range is $9.37 to $73.65 and shares closed at $18.24 on Thursday. The stock traded nearly flat Friday morning.  Days to cover slipped from five to four.

Nio Ltd. (NYSE: NIO) short interest decreased by 12% in the two-week period ending June 15. About 62 million American Depository Shares are short, representing about 4.8% of the company’s total float. The stock’s 52-week range is $6.71 to $66.99, and shares closed Thursday at $45.46. Days to cover remained at one. The stock traded up by less than 1% Friday morning after rising by nearly 17% during the two-week reporting period.

Lordstown Motors Corp. (NASDAQ: RIDE) short interest tumbled by 27% in the two weeks trough June 15. Days to cover remained at two. Short sales account for almost 23% of the company’s total float, and shares closed Thursday at $10.98 in a 52-week range of $6.69 to $31.80. Shares traded up by less than 1% in Friday’s premarket. Lordstown’s stock price rose by about 4.1% in the two-week period after spiking 35% higher on a run at short sellers by retail investors.

Workhorse Group Inc. (NASDAQ: WKHS) short interest dropped by 11% in the two-week period. Some 40.75 million shares are now short, about 36% of the total float. The share price soared by 51% in the two-week period, again thanks to a short squeeze attack. Days to cover dropped from six to one due to average daily share volume rising by more than five times. The stock closed at $15.49 on Thursday and traded up by about 0.5% Friday morning. The stock’s 52-week range is $7.07 to $42.96.

Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ: LI) short interest rose by 13% in the two-week period. About 34.64 million ADSes are short, representing about 4.8% of the China-based company’s total float. The share price jumped by 21% in the period, and days to cover rose from two to three. The post-IPO range is $14.31 to $47.70, and shares closed at $30.68 on Thursday. Shares traded up by less than 1% Friday morning.

Xpeng Inc. (NYSE: XPEV) short interest totaled 23.3 million shares last week, falling by 14% in the two-week reporting period. Short sellers hold about 5.4% of the company’s total float. The share price added 25% in the two weeks and closed at $40.95 on Thursday in a post-IPO range of $17.11 to $74.49. The stock traded up by about 1% Friday morning.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) short interest rose by 12% in the reporting period ended June 15. About 19.8 million GM shares are short, or about 1.4% of the company’s float. Days to cover rose to two. The stock price rose by about 2.5% in the period and closed Thursday at $60.04. The 52-week range is $23.33 to $64.30, and shares traded up by less than 1% Friday morning.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) short interest slipped by 1% to 70.56 million shares, or 1.8% of the total float. Days to cover remained at one. The stock price increased by 3.2% in the two-week reporting period, and shares closed at $15.261 on Thursday in a 52-week range of $5.74 to $16.45. Shares traded up by less than 1% Friday morning.

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