S3 Partners

TSLA short interest is $7.53 billion, 24.9 million shares shorted, 19.9% of the float. Shorts up $1.12 billion in mark-to-market profits today on Tesla‘s 13% price drop, and are now up $783 million for the year.

The 10 major shorts in the Cannabis sector, which make up over 95% of all shorts in the sector, were down $28 million in mark-to-market losses today, bringing year-to-date losses to $1.02 billion.

Short sellers have been covering some of their Tilray short positions over the last week. With shares shorted down 292k shares, -7.72%, as Tilray’s stock price declined by 14.24% over that same time period. Shares shorted are 3.49 million shares, $287 million of Short Interest. This is the lowest level of shares shorted since early December.

Immunomedics Inc (IMMU) stock price is down 29% in mid-morning trading as its lead drug, Sacituzumab Govitecan, failed to get FDA approval. Short interest is $533 million, 29.49 million shares shorted, 18.29% of its float, stock borrow cost is 30 bps.

Netflix Inc (NFLX) short sellers cut their short exposure in 2018 by 37%, covering 8.1 million shares of shorts as they lost $2.04 billion, -34.90%, in mark-to-market P\L. In the first month of 2019 we are seeing a reversal of the trend, with short sellers adding 1.35 million shares of new shorts, +9.7%, in less than three weeks. While NFLX short interest has climbed 45%, to $5.36 billion, short seller’s losses continued to mount this year, down another $1.2 billion in mark-to-market losses in less than a month.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND) shorts are up $206 million in mark-to-market profits today after Citron Research published a report with a $35 price target on concentration of royalty payments in just four drugs, the largest of which will soon lose patent exclusivity. LGND was down 20% on the news today.

Lululemon Athletica  Inc (LULU) shares short selling is increasing along with its stock price. Shares shorted has increased by 969k, +17%, in 2019 even as LULU’s stock price is up 17% on the year. The trend continues as we are seeing continued short selling over the last week even as LULU breaks through the $140/level for the first time since November 2018. Shares shorted increased by 395k, +6.7%, as LULU’s stock price rose by 4.6%.

The mergers and acquisition activity in the Cannabis Sector continued today with Green Growth Brands Ltd. offering $2.1 billion in a hostile takeover of Aphria Inc (APHA). This follows Altria Inc’s announced $1.8 billion investment in Cronos Group (CRON); Constellation Brands purchase of 5.5% of Canopy Growth Corp (CGC); Molson Coors Brewing Co’s joint venture with HEXO Corp (HEXO); and Anheiser-Busch Inbev’s research partnership with Tilray Inc (TJRY).