Top 10 Powder Keg Stocks Where Short Sellers Are Sitting on a Fuse

Short sellers are betting heavily against 10 stocks, and the fuse is getting shorter. Each one has more than 38% of its float sold short, with market caps above $2 billion and average daily volume above 1 million shares, according to Benzinga Pro screener data as of Oct. 12.

At the top of the list, bears hold positions equal to more than three-quarters of the shares available to trade.

Venture Global Inc. (NYSE:VG) leads at 77.73%. MiniMed Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MMED) follows at 63.77%, and Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS) rounds out the top three at 50.54%.

• SOUN stock is moving. See the chart and price action here.

LNG Legal Overhang

Venture Global’s short base sits on top of a string of arbitration fights with LNG buyers. A tribunal ruled last week that its Calcasieu Pass unit breached a supply deal with Portugal’s Galp, the company’s second loss in those disputes, Reuters reported. 

Galp damages are capped at $170 million. BP is seeking at least $3.7 billion from its earlier win, according to Reuters. 

Thin Float at MiniMed

MiniMed’s ranking reflects a small tradable float. Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) kept roughly 90% of the diabetes-device maker after its $20-per-share IPO in March, according to Axios. 

Truist said in late September the stock is near the final stage of its split-off from Medtronic, CNBC reported. A completed split-off would put far more shares into circulation, which could quickly shrink the short-interest percentage.

Coffee, Bitcoin, Retail Bears

Dutch Bros has lost about 44% over three months, though Bank of America analyst Sara Senatore still sees value, saying concerns about same-store sales and drive-thru competition “have weighed disproportionately on valuation,” CNBC reported. 

Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE:KSS) ranks 10th at 38.57%, up from 27.58% in mid-August, according to Benzinga Pro data. The retailer briefly doubled in a meme-style rally in July 2025, when roughly half its float was sold short.

Under Armour Inc. (NYSE:UAA) sits fourth at 45.54% of shares sold short. 

Two Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) miners made the list. CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK) has 41.56% short interest, while Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ:BTDR) sits at 41.23%. 

AI and Drones

SoundHound AI Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN), at 38.96%, was the weakest name on the screen, sliding 6.91% to $5.02, per Benzinga Pro data.  The drop took shares below Friday’s 52-week low of $5.36 and its RSI of 24.51 is deep in oversold territory. 

Ondas Inc. (NASDAQ:ONDS), at 39.48%, is the most actively traded stock on the list, averaging 78.39 million shares a day. Citizens started coverage on ONDS last week with a Market Outperform rating and a $14 price target. 

Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAM) has 41.49% short interest and the lowest trading volume in the group.

Short Squeeze Setup

Crowded shorts can cut both ways. Any upside surprise forces bears to buy back shares, and a thin float magnifies the move. Kohl’s already looks stretched. SoundHound AI, CleanSpark and Dutch Bros, with RSI readings near or below 31, look oversold.

Short Interest Table

Company	Ticker	Short % of Float
Venture Global Inc.	(NYSE:VG)	77.73%
MiniMed Group Inc.	(NASDAQ:MMED)	63.77%
Dutch Bros Inc.	(NYSE:BROS)	50.54%
Under Armour Inc.	(NYSE:UAA)	45.54%
CleanSpark Inc.	(NASDAQ:CLSK)	41.56%
Beam Therapeutics Inc.	(NASDAQ:BEAM)	41.49%
Bitdeer Technologies Group	(NASDAQ:BTDR)	41.23%
Ondas Inc.	(NASDAQ:ONDS)	39.48%
SoundHound AI Inc.	(NASDAQ:SOUN)	38.96%
Kohl’s Corp.	(NYSE:KSS)	38.57%

Reminders:

• Highly shorted stocks are battlegrounds where negative fundamentals meet speculative trading.​
• Short squeezes can deliver huge, fast gains, but at high risk and volatility.​
• Monitoring the short interest leaderboard can help identify which stocks might be the next short squeeze, but timing such trades remains extremely challenging.​
• Always conduct due diligence, as the volatility often reflects deep underlying risks and business uncertainty.

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