Short Sellers Can’t Make Up Theirs Minds on Major Oil

Photo of Chris Lange
By Chris Lange Updated Published
Short Sellers Can’t Make Up Theirs Minds on Major Oil

© Thinkstock

The short interest data have been released for the December 31 settlement date. It just so happens that some of the latest short interest readings for major oil companies are backing off highs, while others are pushing on new highs.

The December 31 short interest data have been compared with the previous figures, and short interest for the selected stocks was mixed.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) saw its short interest decrease to 26.14 million shares from the previous reading of 26.55 million. Shares closed Tuesday at $82.15, in a 52-week trading range of $69.58 to $112.93.

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) saw its short interest fall to 50.45 million shares from the previous level of 54.57 million. Shares closed Tuesday at $75.20, within a 52-week range of $66.55 to $93.45.

BP PLC’s (NYSE: BP) short interest decreased to 5.50 million shares from its previous reading of 7.22 million. Shares closed Tuesday at $28.65, in a 52-week trading range of $28.00 to $43.85.
[recirclink id= 308385]
ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) saw the number of its shares short increase to 40.92 million from the previous 36.98 million. Shares closed Tuesday at $40.25, within a 52-week trading range of $39.13 to $70.11.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (NYSE: PBR), or Petrobras, saw its short interest increase to 179.63 million shares from its previous reading of 177.64 million. Shares closed Tuesday at $3.49, in a 52-week range of $3.33 to $10.55. Unfortunately, Petrobras may be trading on an entirely different set of fundamentals and sentiment due to its woes in Brazil.

Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY) short interest increased to 13.17 million shares from the previous reading of 12.15 million. Shares closed most recently at $60.97, in a 52-week trading range of $58.82 to $83.74.

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

DELL Vol: 42,366,555
NTAP Vol: 15,911,807
NOW Vol: 68,243,561
IBM
IBM Vol: 28,527,546
HPE Vol: 86,996,387

Top Losing Stocks

CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
CLX Vol: 4,744,001
RMD Vol: 3,526,686
INTC Vol: 191,680,425
SWKS Vol: 5,407,806