Squeeze Watch

Market structure watch · September 29, 2026

Which Names Look Like the Better Short-Squeeze Setups?

A scan of 42 tickers against recent short-interest filings, days-to-cover, float, and borrow tightness. High short interest is a precondition, not a prediction.

Primary short-interest snapshot: FINRA settlement dated September 15, 2026 (published about September 24). Borrow fees and share availability can change intraday. Figures below are rounded and can differ by data vendor depending on whether they use float or shares outstanding.

Read this first. This is market-structure research for public discussion, not investment advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Many names on this list are small, thinly traded, unprofitable, or highly speculative. A crowded short book can produce a violent rally or a continued decline if the bearish thesis is correct. You can lose some or all of any capital you put at risk.

How a squeeze setup is scored here

The useful combination is not short interest alone. The names that usually matter most have several of these at once:

• Elevated short interest as a percent of float (roughly 20% and up is crowded; 40%+ is rare)
• High days to cover (DTC), meaning shorts would need many sessions of normal volume to exit
• A limited free float
• Tight stock-loan conditions (high borrow fee and few shares available)
• A possible catalyst that could force covering

High short interest with low DTC is less dangerous for shorts, because they can cover quickly. Extreme short percent with huge volume can still matter if borrow is tight, but it is a different setup than a classic high-DTC coil.

Table 1. Stronger setups from the watchlist

Ticker	Company	Why it screens	SI % of float (approx.)	Days to cover (approx.)	Other notes
GLSI	Greenwich LifeSciences	Best high-DTC structure	~25%	~20	Phase III biotech; modest float
PLCE	The Children's Place	High SI + high DTC + tight borrow	~44%	~10 to 14	Float ~8.3M; borrow fee recently ~15%
TNON	Tenon Medical	Most extreme short percent	~86%	~1	Tiny float; SI jumped sharply; volume keeps DTC low
NUTX	Nutex Health	Crowded with usable DTC	~29%	~7.5	Appears on squeeze-score screens
WKHS	Workhorse Group	Penny-squeeze regular	~23%	~9	Shows up on coiled/igniting screens
SDEV	Stablecoin Development	Tight borrow more than raw SI	~14%	~4.4	High borrow fee; very few shares available

Sources compiled from FINRA short-interest settlements, exchange float figures, and public squeeze screens as of late September 2026. Vendor methodologies differ. Always verify live borrow and volume before acting.

What stands out

GLSI is the cleanest high-DTC name in the set. About a quarter of the float is short, and covering would take roughly three weeks at recent average volume. That is the mechanic that makes a squeeze hard to fade if a catalyst hits. The company is a clinical-stage biotech, so event risk cuts both ways.

PLCE combines a high short percent, double-digit DTC, a small float, and expensive, scarce stock loan. That is the classic retail-squeeze profile. The business has been under pressure and the share price is depressed. Shorts can still be right on the fundamental story even when the structure looks combustible.

TNON is the crowding outlier. Short interest as a percent of float is extreme and rose several-fold in the latest reporting window. Days to cover is only about one session because volume has been large versus a very small float. Treat this as a high-utilization / high-positioning name, not a textbook 15-day cover coil.

Table 2. Next tier and notable but weaker mechanics

Ticker	Company	SI % of float (approx.)	Days to cover (approx.)	Read
WYFI	WhiteFiber	~41%	~3	Crowded, but volume makes covering easier
BETR	Better Home & Finance	~18% to 32%	Variable; has printed double digits	Watch the latest DTC, not just the headline SI%
FFAI	Faraday Future	High in some snapshots	Often low	Microcap volume can neutralize DTC
DFNS	T3 Defense	High in some snapshots	Often low	Same caveat as other microcaps
GCTK	GlucoTrack	Has printed high, now lower	Low	Share count and SI% have been unstable

The rest of the original list

These tickers were in the original screen but did not consistently show the high SI% plus high DTC plus tight-borrow combination that the names above did, at least on the latest public snapshots:

Ticker	TradingView	Ticker	TradingView	Ticker	TradingView
WW	Chart	SRZN	Chart	NTHI	Chart
PSIX	Chart	XPON	Chart	KRUS	Chart
DRCT	Chart	GOSS	Chart	BIRD	Chart
FIRY	Chart	SST	Chart	FRMM	Chart
CRMT	Chart	SAM	Chart	LE	Chart
IBTA	Chart	WLFC	Chart	FABC	Chart
RHLD	Chart	PMI	Chart	MEDS	Chart
DBGI	Chart	MNPR	Chart	NFE	Chart
SWMR	Chart	FTFT	Chart	GRML	Chart
VEEA	Chart	CABO	Chart	INDP	Chart
OPTT	Chart

Some of these symbols trade OTC or have thin listings. If a TradingView exchange prefix fails, search the ticker on TradingView directly.

How to use the list without fooling yourself. High short interest buys exposure to a fat right tail. It does not buy expected return. Historically, most heavily shorted stocks do not squeeze. The names that do usually need a spark: earnings, a clinical readout, a financing surprise, a buyout rumor, or a sudden retail-flow surge. Without that spark, a 40% short interest can sit there for months while the stock grinds lower.

Practical checklist before anyone treats these as trades

1. Confirm the latest FINRA short-interest print and whether the vendor is using float or shares outstanding.
2. Check live days to cover against current volume, not last month's average.
3. Look at stock-loan: fee, utilization, and shares available.
4. Know the float after recent offerings, warrant exercises, or conversions.
5. Identify an actual catalyst. Structure without a spark is just a crowded opinion.
6. Size as if the name can gap 20% against you. Several of these can.

Full disclaimer. This post is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment, trading, tax, or legal advice. It is not an offer to buy or sell securities. The author is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or fiduciary. No ticker mentioned is a recommendation.

Short-interest data is reported with a lag and can be revised. Float estimates, borrow fees, and availability vary by prime broker and data vendor. Prices, short interest, and company fundamentals can change quickly. Past squeezes are not evidence that a future squeeze will occur.

Many securities discussed are penny stocks, microcaps, or otherwise speculative instruments. They can be illiquid, heavily diluted, subject to halt risk, and capable of large overnight gaps. You should do your own research, consider your financial situation and risk tolerance, and consult a licensed professional if you need advice. Do not invest money you cannot afford to lose.

Forward-looking statements about catalysts or potential price moves are speculative. The author and publisher accept no liability for losses arising from use of this information. If you publish or republish this material, keep the disclaimer attached.

Updated September 29, 2026. Short-interest figures referenced to the September 15, 2026 FINRA settlement unless noted.