Can you make over 100% on a short?
Short sales are limited to a 100% return because they create a liability the very first moment they are executed. Although the liability does not translate into an investment of real money by the short seller, it is equivalent to investing the money in that it's a liability that must be paid back at a future date.
How can a company be more than 100% short?
This can lead to market disruptions, and while there are some exceptions to the regulations, most brokers stop regular retail customers from selling stock short if they can't obtain shares to borrow. However, even without a naked short sale, it's theoretically possible for short interest to exceed 100%.
How do you tell if a stock is heavily shorted?
For general shorting information about a company's stock, you can usually go to any website with a stock quote service. For more specific short interest info, you would have to go to the stock exchange where the company is listed.
How was GameStop shorted 140?
As a result, GameStop's stock price declined, leading many institutional investors to short sell the stock. On January 22, 2021, approximately 140 percent of GameStop's public float had been sold short, meaning some shorted shares had been re-lent and shorted again.