Short Bets Against US Equities Hit Record, AI Risks Rise

Written by BloombergPublished Jul 21, 2026, 1:29 PM

Bearish bets across US stocks are surging to a record in the face of market gains, reflecting anxiety about the staying power of a rally that has seen the S&P 500 jump 18% from late March. Short interest in S&P 500 Index stocks is sitting steps away from 3.79% of free float, an all-time high in data tracked by S3 Partners LLC going back to 2010. For the Russell 3000 companies, the figure has recently climbed to 6.3%, a record. While betting against stocks has generally been a losing proposition this year, short sellers are sticking to their guns as worries about the payoff from artificial intelligence investments keep rattling the markets. Concerns about AI-related spending and competition from China sent the S&P 500 down 1.6% last week. Tom Thornton, President at Hedge Fund Telemetry, joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss market sentiment and his call in late May about pressure and leverage in Korean equities.