9 Most shorted stocks in UK

Many investors and researchers agree, that short sellers are smart money, more often than not, stocks with high short interest experience negative returns in following months or years. Here is a list of the most shorted stocks on LSE:

9. AMEC plc (AMEC.L)

Short float: 5.4%
Market cap: 3.2 billion GBP
Dividend: 0%


The company provides consultacny, engineering and project management services to many industries including: oil and gas, mining, clean energy and various infrastructure markets. AQR Capital and Oxford Asset Management are among hedge funds holding shorts.

8. IQE plc (IQE.L)

Short float: 5.58%
Market cap: 145 million GBP
Dividend: 0%


IQE is a primarily a semiconductor company, which manufactures advanced epitaxial wafers for a wide range of technology applications for wireless, optoelectronic, electronic and solar devices. Short positions are held mainly by BlackRock Inc.

7. Quindell plc (QPP.L)

Short float: 5.86%
Market cap: 13.7 billion GBP
Dividend: 0%

Quindell Plc provides software, consulting, and technology enabled business process outsourcing services primarily in the United Kingdom. The company has two segments: Services and Solutions.  It's customers are in the insurance, finance, health, and legal; telecoms, utilities, retail, and e-commerce; and government and public sectors. 

The company was founded in 2000. Hedge funds shorting this are Coatue Management, Roble S.L. and TT International.

6. Nanoco plc (NANO.L)

Short float: 6%
Market cap: 227 million GBP
Dividend: 0%

Nanoco is a nanotechnology company located in Manchester, United Kingdom, founded in 2001. The company is a spinoff of research pursued at the University of Manchester. GMT Capital and Teton Capital are among notable short sellers.

5. Aggreko plc (AGK.L)

Short float: 6.38%
Market cap: 4.2 billion GBP
Dividend: 0%

Aggreko plc offers power generation products like diesel and gas generators, transformers, fuel tanks and various electrical distribution equipment. It rents these products to customers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia, and Latin America.  Some of the most prominent hedge funds hold shorts here including: Lansdowne Partners, Eton Park Capital, AQR Capital Management, Odey Asset Management and Och-Ziff Management Europe.

4. APR Energy plc (APR.L)

Short float: 6.54%
Market cap: 631 million GBP
Dividend: 1.5%

APR Energy delivers large-scale power solutions and recently acquired the GE power and through a partnership with GE became the world’s leading provider of fast-track mobile turbine power. Short funds include Lansdowne Partners and Odey Asset Management.

3. Ashmore Group (ASHM.L)

Short float: 7.2%
Market cap: 2.4 billion GBP
Dividend: 0%

Ashmore Group plc is a publicly owned investment company. They invest in fixed income, currency and equity markets. The company specializes on emerging markets. Short funds include Lansdowne Partners, Odey Asset Management and Discovery Capital.

2. Sainsbury's (SBRY.L)

Short float: 8.3%
Market cap: 6 billion GBP
Dividend: 5.5%

J Sainsbury plc is one of the "big four" supermarkets in UK. Others iclude Tesco, Asda and Morrisons. It operates approximately 1,203 supermarkets around the country. 

As the second most shorted stock, the list of funds is quite big: Marshall Wace, Eton Park, Lone Pine Capital, Maverick Capital Lansdowne Partners, Odey Asset Management and Adelphi Capital.

1. WH Smith (SWMH.L)

Short float: 9.8%
Market cap: 1.8 billion GBP
Dividend: 3%

WH Smith PLC is a book retailer, with street locations, airports, railway stations, hospitals, bus stations, and motorway stations. The chart still looks pretty good for a short and I don't really think that brick and mortar book shops have a bright future right now.

Hedge funds shorting WH Smith are: Lansdowne Partners, Scopus Asset Management, Meritage Group, Eminence Capital and Artemis investment management.

Short positions based on company filings, the total number of funds shorting a stock might have changed. 
Source: Shorttracker.co.uk