SpaceX Short Interest Surges 490% to $23.6B, Surpassing Tesla

SpaceX short interest hits $23.6B, exceeding Tesla as lock-up expirations and earnings loom. Float dilution fears drive bearish bets amid 50% stock drop.

Woofun AI data shows that SpaceX’s nominal short interest has climbed to approximately $23.6 billion, overtaking Tesla’s $22 billion to become a primary target for bearish positioning. Investors currently hold short positions on roughly 206 million shares, representing 32.2% of the public float, a sharp increase from the 40 million shares held at listing in June.

The surge coincides with a more than 50% decline in stock price and a $500 billion reduction in market value since June 12. Market participants are anticipating pressure from this week’s initial lock-up expiration, which unlocks 20% to 30% of restricted insider shares, alongside the upcoming first quarterly earnings report. Bernstein projects the public float may reach 40% by December due to phased unlocking schedules extending through October and beyond.