Most Shorted Stocks Today: May 5, 2026 — Top 25 Squeeze Candidates
On May 5, 2026, RAYA leads the Tapeboard short squeeze leaderboard with a perfect score of 100 and a 254.2% borrow fee, headlining a top 25 where 21 names carry FINRA threshold flags and three names post short interest above 59% of float.
On May 5, 2026, RAYA claims the top spot on the Tapeboard short squeeze leaderboard with a perfect score of 100, driven by a 254.2% annualized borrow fee and 100% float utilization — the entire lendable float is already out on loan. The broader picture is defined by threshold concentration: 21 of the 25 names carry a FINRA threshold flag, signaling sustained heavy directional short pressure across the board. High short interest readings anchor the top tier, with GRPN, PLAY, and CVNA each carrying SI above 59% of float.
May 5, 2026 Top 25 Short Squeeze Candidates
| Rank | Symbol | Squeeze Score | SI % Float | Borrow Fee | Days to Cover | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RAYA | 100 | 8.0% | 254.2% | 0.0 | ✓ |
| 2 | GRPN | 92.2 | 59.4% | 0.9% | 9.1 | ✓ |
| 3 | PLAY | 82.9 | 60.7% | 0.5% | 3.9 | ✓ |
| 4 | CVNA | 80.6 | 67.5% | 0.3% | 4.9 | ✓ |
| 5 | INDI | 78.2 | 30.6% | 4.1% | 18.4 | ✓ |
| 6 | CLSK | 77.1 | 46.3% | 0.3% | 4.3 | ✓ |
| 7 | NTLA | 76.8 | 36.8% | 0.5% | 12.4 | ✓ |
| 8 | RXRX | 76.7 | 34.9% | 2.0% | 14.0 | ✓ |
| 9 | RUM | 76.5 | 26.0% | 42.1% | 17.5 | ✓ |
| 10 | JFBR | 75.5 | 4.1% | — | 0.6 | |
| 11 | EVGO | 75.4 | 34.9% | 0.8% | 9.6 | ✓ |
| 12 | BTDR | 74.9 | 36.1% | 0.8% | 6.7 | ✓ |
| 13 | IBRX | 74.9 | 36.1% | 4.6% | 6.2 | ✓ |
| 14 | ATPC | 73.5 | 0.7% | 300.8% | 0.0 | |
| 15 | XRX | 73.3 | 28.1% | 1.7% | 10.5 | ✓ |
| 16 | AI | 72.5 | 33.1% | 0.3% | 9.2 | ✓ |
| 17 | NVAX | 72.1 | 28.5% | 0.5% | 12.4 | ✓ |
| 18 | TRIP | 72.0 | 37.0% | 0.4% | 7.4 | ✓ |
| 19 | H | 71.7 | 39.1% | 0.6% | 9.0 | ✓ |
| 20 | RH | 71.3 | 38.1% | 0.3% | 3.1 | ✓ |
| 21 | ARCT | 71.2 | 33.2% | 0.7% | 11.9 | ✓ |
| 22 | BEAM | 70.7 | 33.5% | 0.3% | 10.4 | ✓ |
| 23 | TWST | 70.7 | 30.5% | 0.3% | 12.2 | |
| 24 | UPST | 70.5 | 33.4% | 0.4% | 6.0 | ✓ |
| 25 | SNDX | 70.4 | 26.7% | 0.3% | 14.3 | ✓ |
Highest Borrow Fees on May 5, 2026
1. RAYA — Squeeze Score 100
RAYA earns a perfect 100 on the strength of a 254.2% annualized borrow fee and 100% float utilization — every share available to lend is already out on loan. Short interest sits at 8.0% of float, and days to cover is a razor-thin 0.04, meaning the entire short position could theoretically close within a fraction of one average trading day. Trading at $4.58 with +25.2% five-day momentum and a FINRA threshold flag, RAYA is a tight-float, extreme-fee setup where the mechanics are already under structural strain. If borrow availability tightens further through recall or pool depletion, the cost to maintain the position escalates immediately — and any forced covering in a fully subscribed float is self-amplifying.
2. GRPN — Squeeze Score 92.2
GRPN ranks second on the weight of 59.4% short interest — one of the highest absolute readings in the top 25. Float utilization runs at 47.4%, borrow fee is 0.9%, and days to cover is 9.1. At $15.02 with a FINRA threshold flag, the setup is high-SI, long-duration: the fuel is the sheer size of the short position rather than fee pressure. The 9.1-day covering queue is the defining constraint — a positive catalyst compresses that window sharply, forcing covering volume that sustains upward price pressure throughout the unwind.
3. PLAY — Squeeze Score 82.9
PLAY carries 60.7% short interest as a fraction of float — the highest raw SI reading on today's board. At $10.43 with a 5-day momentum of -8.7%, shorts have been winning the recent tape. But with days to cover at 3.9 and a FINRA threshold flag, the position is both dense and concentrated in recent daily volume. A shift in buying pressure would need to absorb a covering queue built at 60.7% SI through only 3.9 days of average volume, making any unwind fast and potentially disorderly.
4. CVNA — Squeeze Score 80.6
CVNA is the large-cap outlier at $380.26 — the highest-priced name on the board — with 67.5% short interest, the single largest SI reading in today's top 25. Float utilization is a lower 10.2%, reflecting a larger absolute float, but days to cover at 4.9 and a FINRA threshold flag add structural pressure. Five-day momentum sits at -6.7%. The squeeze mechanic is classic: 67.5% SI means any forced covering event requires enormous buy-side volume relative to typical daily turnover at this price level, and the threshold flag confirms the short side has been the dominant directional driver.
5. INDI — Squeeze Score 78.2
INDI rounds out the top five with a 4.1% borrow fee, 30.6% short interest, and the longest days-to-cover reading among the top 5: 18.4 days. At $4.636 with float utilization at 31.3% and a FINRA threshold flag, the elevated borrow fee relative to peers signals that borrow is becoming scarcer in this name. The 18.4-day cover queue is the defining characteristic: if shorts need to exit and only 1/18th of the position can close per day at average volume, any catalyst creates a slow-burn, sustained covering event that maintains upward pressure over an extended window rather than a single-session spike.
Stocks Flagged on the FINRA Threshold List
The "T" column marks names on the FINRA threshold list — stocks where short volume exceeded 50% of total volume within the last 7 trading days on the FINRA Consolidated NMS daily short-volume file. A threshold designation indicates institutional short sellers have been the dominant directional participant in recent sessions, which can signal either sustained conviction short or a crowded position that becomes fragile under stress. On May 5, 2026, 21 of the 25 names on this list carry that flag. Full scoring detail at /methodology/short-squeeze-score.
How the Tapeboard Squeeze Score Is Built
The score weights five inputs: 35% short interest as a percent of float (Yahoo Finance), 25% borrow fee (IBKR data via iborrowdesk.com), 20% float utilization, 15% days to cover, and 5% five-day price momentum (Schwab). A name that maxes out borrow fee and float utilization — like RAYA at 254.2% fee and 100% utilization today — scores at the top of the range even at modest headline short interest, because the cost and availability signal is already fully stressed. Full methodology at /methodology/short-squeeze-score.
The live leaderboard updates daily and will reflect tomorrow's data as soon as it is processed.