Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: October 20, 2026

TL;DR: As of market close on October 20, 2026, CIFR leads Tapeboard's short squeeze leaderboard with a score of 92/100, driven by its 21.7% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee.

Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by composite score on October 20, 2026, scoring the names that clear a short-interest gate of at least 15% of float on 20-day volatility (single largest daily move excluded), 5-day float rotation and last-session relative volume, each as a percentile of the gated set. Borrow-fee pressure and FINRA threshold flags dominate the top tier, while momentum remains mostly negative across the board.

Today's October 20, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard

Rank	Symbol	Squeeze Score	SI % Float	Borrow Fee	Days to Cover	Mom 5d	T
1	CIFR	92.0	21.7%	0.4%	1.7	-21.7%
2	FCEL	91.6	33.2%	0.3%	3.6	-20.0%	T
3	NBIS	87.1	19.5%	0.4%	2.3	-17.1%	T
4	IREN	85.6	23.6%	0.4%	1.7	-23.5%
5	ASTS	82.2	24.3%	0.7%	3.8	-12.6%	T
6	GRRR	81.7	19.5%	15.7%	4.6	-21.4%	T
7	CHPT	80.9	19.5%	3.3%	4.8	+8.4%	T
8	WULF	80.2	31.2%	0.4%	3.3	-9.1%
9	ARCT	79.1	20.6%	0.4%	7.3	-8.7%	T
10	RXRX	78.9	30.8%	0.5%	5.1	-4.6%	T
11	HUT	78.9	18.5%	0.4%	3.2	-17.4%
12	NVAX	78.5	32.3%	0.3%	5.4	-10.8%	T
13	LCID	77.9	60.3%	20.8%	9.0	-2.5%	T
14	LEU	77.8	30.9%	0.5%	7.3	-18.2%	T
15	IMUX	76.3	17.3%	1.0%	4.5	+7.5%	T

*Source: Tapeboard composite squeeze model, October 20, 2026. Names gated at 15%+ short interest, scored on volatility, float rotation and relative volume percentiles. Short interest per FINRA settlement schedule; borrow fees from broker-dealer stock-loan data; short-volume from FINRA Consolidated NMS. Not investment advice.*

What Drove Today's Rankings

The top of the board is carried by names on the FINRA threshold list, with 11 of the top 15 flagged for heavy short-side volume. Most leaders are also down over the last five days, a pattern consistent with short-covering setups rather than breakout momentum. LCID stands as the clear outlier: its borrow fee of 20.8% dwarfs every other name in the top 15, carrying its rank on fee pressure and a 60.3% short interest instead of low-fee dynamics.

Top 5 Names

1. CIFR — Squeeze Score 92.0/100

CIFR leads the board at 92.0 on a 21.7% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee, with shares down 21.7% over five days. The name is not on the FINRA threshold list, and days-to-cover sit at 1.7. short squeeze

2. FCEL — Squeeze Score 91.6/100

FCEL ranks second at 91.6, driven by a 33.2% short interest and a 0.3% borrow fee, with days-to-cover at 3.6. The stock is on the FINRA threshold list and is down 20.0% over the last five trading days.

3. NBIS — Squeeze Score 87.1/100

NBIS scores 87.1 on a 19.5% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee. The name carries a FINRA threshold flag, days-to-cover of 2.3, and a 17.1% five-day decline.

4. IREN — Squeeze Score 85.6/100

IREN posts an 85.6 score with a 23.6% short interest, a 0.4% borrow fee, and days-to-cover of 1.7. The stock is down 23.5% over five days and does not appear on the FINRA threshold list.

5. ASTS — Squeeze Score 82.2/100

ASTS rounds out the top five at 82.2, supported by a 24.3% short interest and a 0.7% borrow fee. Days-to-cover are 3.8, the name is on the FINRA threshold list, and shares have fallen 12.6% over the last five days.

Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built

Tapeboard's Short Squeeze Score (setup v6, since 2026-10-07) gates on short interest of at least 15% of float (FINRA settlement, point-in-time and split-safe), then ranks gated names 0-100 on 20-day volatility with the single largest daily move excluded (60%), 5-day float rotation (20%) and last-session relative volume (20%), each as a percentile among the gated names. A higher score means higher historical odds of a large move in either direction; it is not a directional call. Borrow fee, days to cover and the short-volume ratio are shown for context at zero weight. Data are sourced from FINRA, the SEC, and the NYSE and NASDAQ exchanges. Read the full methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?

The top three candidates on October 20, 2026 are CIFR at 92.0 with a 21.7% short interest and a 0.4% borrow fee, FCEL at 91.6 with a 33.2% short interest and a 0.3% borrow fee, and NBIS at 87.1 with a 19.5% short interest and a 0.4% borrow fee.

How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?

The score gates on short interest of at least 15% of float (FINRA settlement, point-in-time), then ranks gated names 0-100 on 20-day volatility with the single largest daily move excluded (60%), 5-day float rotation (20%) and last-session relative volume (20%), each as a percentile among the gated names. Borrow fee, days to cover and the short-volume ratio are shown for context at zero weight. The full formula, the gate and the calibrated odds are published at the methodology page.

When does short-interest data update?

Short-interest figures follow the FINRA settlement schedule and carry a lag of roughly two weeks. Borrow fees update on a daily basis from broker-dealer stock-loan data.

Data and Methodology

Squeeze score: Tapeboard composite, recomputed nightly.

Short interest: FINRA, approximately two-week settlement lag.

Borrow fee: broker-dealer stock-loan data, daily.

Short-volume threshold: FINRA Consolidated NMS, daily.

Momentum: end-of-day price data.

See today's highest borrow fees for the hard-to-borrow ranking, the full daily archive for past records, or the live squeeze leaderboard for tomorrow's update.

What Changed vs the Previous Record

RXRX drops out of the top 5 (was rank 2, score 90.1).

GRRR drops out of the top 5 (was rank 5, score 84.7).

This record is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Short selling carries unlimited downside risk. A quantitative composite does not predict price, and past squeezes are not indicative of future moves. Editor: Marcus Reilly.