The long running battle between Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and short sellers is set to continue despite a mass exodus from short positions in recent weeks, according to Ortex Analytics.
Considered to be one of most shorted stocks in the world, Tesla’s share price surged in the run up to its Q2 earnings amid speculation the company was about to be included in the S&P 500. This prompted a large number of short sellers to exit their position at a loss, but data from Ortex Analytics shows that 11.3 million Tesla shares remain held in short positions as traders continue to see an opportunity.
Commenting on the data, Peter Hillerberg, co-founder of Ortex Analytics, said: “Elon Musk has been quick to claim victory over the short sellers, however, this doesn’t quite paint the full picture. It is highly likely that what we’ve seen over recent weeks is at least in part a “short squeeze,” whereby the Tesla share price has been pushed higher by short sellers closing their positions. For high-conviction short sellers, this will just have been a further signal to hold tight and wait for an opportunity to take profit.”
Fig. 1. Negative correlation between share price and short interest estimates shows classic sign of a “short squeeze” pattern.
Tesla's Inclusion Into The S&P 500
Ortex also point to a “hype premium” that may present a further opportunity for those maintaining short positions or seeking to re-enter the market. In a note published before Tesla’s Q2 earnings announcement, Ortex estimated that Tesla’s inclusion into the S&P 500 could equate to around $40 billion of buy orders. However, it also pointed out that these orders would represent a “modest” three days of trading volume and that speculative buying was likely to be more significant than the index inclusion itself.
Hillerberg added: “Inclusion into the S&P 500 is undoubtedly a huge milestone for Tesla as a company, but its short-term impact on the share price may be being overstated. A surge in speculative buying could be a signal for new short sellers to take a position and seek to take advantage of the “hype premium,” which has characterized so much of Tesla’s price movement in recent years.
“It remains to be seen whether the short sellers that have maintained their position will benefit from their resilience, but whichever way you look at it, the battle of wits between Tesla and its short sellers is far from over.”