By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, investors and traders likely would have been grateful for a break from the six weeks or so of volatility and sell-offs. By then, the major U.S. indexes were in the red for the year, and some sectors and many individual stocks remained in bearish territory. By the end of last month, many were likely ready to put the year in the rearview mirror and figure out how to position themselves for the coming year.

Judging by the most shorted stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange between the November 15 and November 30 settlement dates, those sellers were renewing bets on some of their favorites. Yet, J.C. Penney and Rite Aid bucked the trend with shrinking short interest as the holiday shopping season got underway.

Note that the six most shorted NYSE stocks had more than 120 million shares short at the end of the most recent settlement period. In fact, all the top 10 had short interest of more than 100 million shares.

Chesapeake Energy

The number of Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s (NYSE: CHK) shares short jumped about 10% in the most recent period, allowing this oil and gas company to reclaim the number one spot on the list. The reported short interest of nearly 151.69 million shares represented 16.9% of the total float. The year-to-date peak back in March was over 210 million shares short. At the posted daily average trading volume on the latest settlement date, it would take about five days to cover all the short positions.

Falling natural gas prices dragged on Chesapeake as the month came to a close. Its share price retreated more than 21% across those two weeks, and even more since that time. The stock is trading around 9% lower than a week ago, and it ended Tuesday at $2.57 a share. That still is almost 5% higher over the past 90 days. Shares have changed hands as high as $5.60 and as low as $2.53 in the past year.

Snap

Also rising up the list in the latest period was Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP), which saw the number of its shares short grow more than 6% in the latter two weeks of November. The over 138.37 million shares reported most recently represented 24.0% of the social media and camera company’s total float. At the daily average trading volume at the conclusion of last month, it would take about 10 days for investors to cover all short positions.

The company posted a disappointing quarterly report in November. The shares ended the latest settlement period with a decline of around 3%, though they had been down about 12% before the Thanksgiving holiday. The share price was last seen at $5.75. That compares to the 52-week low of $5.57 reached this week. The 52-week high, seen early this year, was $21.22 a share. The stock now is down more than 41% in the past 90 days.

Bank of America

Bank of America Corp.’s (NYSE: BAC) short interest in the latest two-week period surged by about 18% to more than 136.09 million, pushing this stock a few spots higher on this list. That reading represented just 1.4% of the total float. As of the end of November, it would take about three days to cover all short positions, after the daily average volume shrank again in the latest period.

This stock remains a top Warren Buffett holding. Its share price ended the latest settlement period with a gain of around 3%, which was about the same as the S&P 500. The stock closed most recently at $24.58 a share, which is down more than 20% in the past 90 days. The shares have changed hands between $24.29 and $33.05 in the past 52 weeks.

J.C. Penney

The number of J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) shares short decreased about 5% in the latest period to almost 135.22 million. That was enough to allow it to drop from the top of this most-shorted list. But note that short interest has grown in nine of the past 14 periods, and most recently it was still a whopping 44.9% of the department store operator’s float. The daily average trading volume shrank again during the two weeks, so the days to cover number increased from about 10 to 13.

This struggling retailer posted another disappointing quarterly report ahead of the two-week period. Short sellers watched the share price retreat more than 10% but then end the period up around 9%. The stock has popped 4% or so this past week and closed most recently at $1.38 a share. That is still over 24% lower than three months ago. The 52-week low, seen in mid-November, was $1.05, while the 52-week high of $4.75 was reached early this year.

General Electric

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) remained in the top six with a more than 3% pop in the number of its short shares in the latter two weeks of the month. Note that the last big move was a jump of more than 23% in the latter half of September. The more than 135.06 million shares reported most recently represented 1.6% of the conglomerate’s total float, and it compares to the year-to-date high above 155 million shares seen back in March. The daily average trading volume shrank handily during the period, but the days to cover remained at less than one.

GE continued its restructuring efforts during the short interest period. The shares ended the two weeks more than 6% lower, despite being up about 2% twice earlier in the period. In the final two weeks of last month, the Dow climbed about 3%. GE’s share price was last seen at $6.76, after hitting a 52-week low of $6.66 a day earlier. The 52-week high, seen early this year, was $19.39 a share. The stock is almost 45% lower than 90 days ago.

Weatherford International

Weatherford International PLC (NYSE: WFT) remains in the top six on the list though the number of its shares sold short decreased less than 2% so in the final two weeks of last month. The more than 130.35 million shares short reported most recently represented 12.9% of the oilfield service provider’s total float. The days to cover reading ended the period at around four, given the last seen average daily volume.

Weatherford shares were downgraded by one analyst as the short interest period got underway. Short sellers watched the share price tumble more than 30% by month’s end and a little more since then. The stock closed most recently at $0.45 a share, a few cents more than the 52-week low hit earlier in the day. The 52-week high, from last January, was $4.41. Now the stock is down 82% or so from three months ago.

And the Rest

Rounding out the top 10 were Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD), Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA), Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) and Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S). Rite Aid and Sprint saw the numbers of their shares short dwindle, while short interest in Alibaba and Transocean rose marginally.

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) again lingered outside the spotlight of the top 10 most shorted NYSE stocks, along with Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB), Infosys Ltd. (NYSE: INFY), Ensco PLC (NYSE: ESV) and Gerdau S.A. (NYSE: GGB). Note that EnCana Corp. (NYSE: ECA) saw another sizable rise in short interest, but not yet enough to lift it into the top 10.

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