Short Squeeze Scan — 2026-08-30
Algolearn.AI August 30, 2026 5 min read 11 views
Squeeze 2026-08-30 · 2 top setups · 7 watchlist · 21 no signal
Automated daily scan of high-short-interest US stocks, scored against a 7-point short-squeeze checklist (the same warning signs that preceded the April 2026 CAR squeeze). Each top setup includes a defined-risk options idea built from live chain data. Not investment advice.
Top setups
METC (5/7)
Ramaco Resources has 7.8 days-to-cover with institutional ownership at 105% of float, effectively removing freely borrowable supply. The stock surged 56% in August as coking coal prices re-rated toward $207/tonne with H2 2026 upward pricing guidance from management. Options show dominant call skew (calls 2.7x puts) ahead of a likely Q3 earnings catalyst in Oct/Nov. Defined-risk entry via $13/$15 bull call spread captures both the ongoing squeeze dynamics and the earnings event within a 19-day window.
- [FAIL] Short interest > 40% of float: 34.68% of float per highshortinterest.com; 24.8% per MarketBeat (July 2026) — below 40% threshold on both readings
- [PASS] Days to cover > 5: 7.8 days to cover: 11.8M shares short ÷ avg daily volume per MarketBeat (July 2026)
- [PASS] Tiny free float with institutions locked up: 105.05% institutional ownership as of July 30, 2026 (Fintel/TradingKey); 326 institutions hold 41.17M shares against a 38.74M float — effective lockup exceeds 100% of available supply
- [FAIL] Rising borrow costs: No specific APR confirmed; sister-class METCB short interest expanded 268.2% (July 14, 2026) indicating rising borrow demand, but no numeric rate obtained from Fintel or web searches
- [PASS] Near-term catalyst (earnings, FDA, tariff, etc.): Company explicitly guided H2 2026 upward U.S. coal pricing; PLV HCC coking coal at ~$207/tonne (May 2026), forecast range $140–$240/tonne through 2026; Q3 2026 earnings expected ~Oct/Nov 2026
- [PASS] Heavy call buying / call skew > put skew: Sep 18 chain: call_25d_iv 1.4625 vs. put_25d_iv 0.5437 — calls 2.69x more expensive than equidistant puts; ATM straddle $2.95 implies 26.7% expected move by expiry; call_skew clearly dominant
- [PASS] Price momentum turning up despite heavy short interest: $8.90 close (Aug 3) to $13.91 close (Aug 27) = +56.3% in 24 trading days; Aug 28 close $13.30 holding above $13 support; 30-day low-to-recent-high gain confirmed from EOD bars
| Strategy | bull call spread |
|---|---|
| Expiry | 2026-09-18 |
| Legs | long 1x $13 call, short 1x $15 call |
| Cost | $0.80 debit per spread ($1.225 long – $0.425 short, Sep 18 chain mid prices) |
| Max risk / reward | $80 per spread (1 contract = 100 shares) / $120 per spread · breakeven $13.80 |
PLCE (5/7)
Children's Place has 41.87% SI against an effective free float under 1.8M shares after Mithaq Capital's 61.1% ownership (SEC-confirmed) and 78.74% institutional lockup of the remaining public float. At ~19 days-to-cover with Q2 earnings due ~Sep 10, the options market is pricing extreme call skew (ATM call 5.75x the ATM put). The $2/$3 bull call spread is currently near breakeven ($2.43) with the earnings catalyst providing a discrete binary catalyst within the Sep 18 expiry window.
- [PASS] Short interest > 40% of float: 41.87% of 8.04M-share float per highshortinterest.com = ~3.36M shares short, above the 40% threshold
- [PASS] Days to cover > 5: 3.36M shares short ÷ trailing 10-day avg daily volume ~176K (EOD bars Aug 15–28) ~ 19 days; April 2026 FINRA-reported figure was 4.6 days on the then-higher volume of 335K/day
- [PASS] Tiny free float with institutions locked up: Mithaq Capital SPC holds 13.6M shares = 61.1% of 22.2M outstanding (SEC 13D/A, June 8, 2026; updated 61.6% in Aug 11 amendment); institutional ownership 78.74% of public float; effective free float under 1.8M shares
- [FAIL] Rising borrow costs: No specific APR confirmed; iBorrowDesk and Fintel track it but rates were not returned in searches — cannot mark as passed
- [PASS] Near-term catalyst (earnings, FDA, tariff, etc.): Q2 FY2026 earnings scheduled ~September 10, 2026 per historical cadence (11 days from scan date); Mithaq-appointed interim CEO July 7, 2026; active restructuring with $15M Mithaq loan announced
- [PASS] Heavy call buying / call skew > put skew: Sep 18 chain: ATM $2 call mid $0.575 vs ATM $2 put mid $0.10 (5.75x ratio); call_25d_iv 2.047 vs put_25d_iv 1.266; prior pre-earnings session: call/put volume ratio 9:2 per MarketBeat (June 29, 2026); $90,540 unusual call trade flagged on Nasdaq
- [FAIL] Price momentum turning up despite heavy short interest: $2.65 open (July 21) to $2.47 close (Aug 28); intraday low $2.23 (Aug 17) recovered to $2.69 (Aug 26) then eased — no sustained 30-day uptrend established
| Strategy | bull call spread |
|---|---|
| Expiry | 2026-09-18 |
| Legs | long 1x $2 call, short 1x $3 call |
| Cost | $0.43 debit per spread ($0.575 long – $0.15 short, Sep 18 chain mid prices) |
| Max risk / reward | $43 per spread (1 contract = 100 shares) / $57 per spread · breakeven $2.43 |
Watchlist
| Ticker | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| WRLD | 4/7 | World Acceptance has an extraordinary 228.19% short-interest figure on a 2.32M-share float with 90%+ institutional lockup — implying effectively no borrowable supply exists. The metric may partly represent cost-to-borrow (APR) rather than pure SI%, either way signaling extreme stress. No listed options preclude a defined-risk entry. Watch for earnings ~Oct 22 as the potential ignition catalyst. |
| HTZ | 4/7 | HTZ completed a textbook short squeeze on Aug 7 earnings beat (from $1.50 to $2.80 peak, +87%), but has since faded 24% from the high. SI remains elevated at 61.71% and DTC 10.57d but the primary catalyst is spent and price momentum has reversed. Monitor for a secondary catalyst — HTZ shorts remain structurally uncomfortable but need a new trigger. |
| WGS | 4/7 | GeneDx has surged 51% in 24 trading days with extreme call skew (calls 7.5x puts) and 113% institutional ownership structurally locking supply. SI (38.37%) and DTC (3.25d) are below squeeze thresholds, limiting squeeze probability in the near term. The combination of revenue acceleration ($114M Q2) and approaching Q3 earnings makes this a monitor for score escalation if SI increases above 40%. |
| SOUN | 4/7 | SoundHound carries a 13% borrow rate with extreme call skew (ATM calls 29x puts, calls 9.6x put IV) and a pending LivePerson acquisition that would transform revenue. SI (39.86%) and DTC (4.18d) fall marginally below squeeze thresholds, and the 401M float limits explosive dynamics. Score would escalate to 5 on confirmed acquisition close or if SI crosses 40%. |
| AI | 3/7 | C3.ai has 10.55 days-to-cover and a significant restructuring underway with $135M in targeted savings and CEO return. Price is +29% off July lows. The setup lacks a tiny float and confirmable options activity (chain was corrupted); if a clean chain confirms bullish skew, score escalates to 4+. |
| GRPN | 3/7 | Groupon has high SI (50.71%) and 9.5 days-to-cover but the options market is positioned decisively bearishly (puts 7.5x calls, put_skew_pct +648%) and price is down 32% in 30 days. The 1.66% borrow rate indicates shorts are comfortable. The Nov 5 earnings date is the only approaching catalyst; monitor if price stabilizes. |
| RXRX | 3/7 | Recursion has three H2 2026 clinical catalysts (REC-4881 FDA pathway update, REC-7735 Phase 1/2 initiation, REC-1245 data) that drove an 87% call volume spike on Aug 26 with put/call ratio 0.23. Price is +20% from 30-day lows. The large 518M float and low DTC (3.6d) limit squeeze dynamics, but the pipeline timing and unusual call activity warrant monitoring into H2 data readouts. |
No signal
KPTI, ONDS, XPOF, FLWS, NEGG, WYFI, PCT, SERV, LCID, QUBT, RXT, INDI, BETR, FLNC, XRX, SPRY, EVGO, BBAI, MARA, EOSE, CRML
Generated 2026-08-30 15:15 UTC by the AlgoLearn squeeze scanner. Defined-risk options ideas for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
https://pagerankcafe.com/pressRelease/blog/squeeze-scan-2026-08-30
