Top Short-Squeeze Candidates Today: October 23, 2026 — Short Squeeze Score Leaderboard

TL;DR: As of market close on October 23, 2026, FCEL leads Tapeboard's Short Squeeze Score leaderboard with a score of 95.3/100, driven by its 33.2% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee.

Tapeboard's daily squeeze scan ranked 25 stocks by score on October 23, 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. Elevated borrow fees dominate the upper tier, with ten of the top 15 names carrying fees above 0.4% annualized. The short squeeze score reflects historical odds of a large move in either direction, not a directional call.

Today's October 23, 2026 Squeeze Score Leaderboard

Rank	Symbol	Squeeze Score	SI % Float	Borrow Fee	Days to Cover	Mom 5d	T
1	FCEL	95.3	33.2%	0.4%	3.3 days	-14.5%	T
2	WULF	87.2	31.2%	0.4%	3.1 days	-3.1%	T
3	PRME	85.3	27.9%	0.4%	6.4 days	+5.8%	T
4	IREN	82.8	23.6%	0.4%	1.6 days	-7.7%
5	BTDR	82.6	38.1%	0.4%	5.9 days	-9.8%	T
6	CIFR	82.6	21.7%	0.3%	1.7 days	-11.6%
7	LEU	81.5	30.9%	0.5%	6.8 days	-10.9%	T
8	ASTS	81.5	24.3%	0.7%	3.7 days	-2.1%	T
9	ZURA	81.3	18.5%	0.5%	2.0 days	-13.4%	T
10	INDI	80.2	28.5%	0.9%	10.0 days	-10.4%	T
11	CHPT	79.4	19.5%	3.6%	5.0 days	+20.8%	T
12	RXRX	79.2	30.8%	0.4%	5.1 days	+6.8%	T
13	HUT	79.1	18.5%	0.4%	3.0 days	-9.6%
14	CLSK	77.9	30.9%	0.4%	4.5 days	-6.2%	T
15	MARA	77.7	26.6%	0.3%	2.9 days	-6.8%	T

*Source: Tapeboard Short Squeeze Score model, October 23, 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

Across the top 10, elevated borrow fees and high short interest reinforce each other, with seven names carrying fees at or above 0.4% annualized alongside short interest above 20% of float. INDI breaks the pattern as the lowest-fee name in the top 10 at 0.9%, carried instead by a 10.0-day cover figure and 28.5% short interest. Factor weights remain fixed at 60% volatility, 20% float rotation and 20% relative volume among gated names.

Top 5 Names

1. FCEL — Squeeze Score 95.3/100

FCEL carries 33.2% short interest against free float, the highest among the top three, and sits on the FINRA threshold list with short volume at or above 50% of recent volume. Its annualized borrow fee of 0.4% adds cost pressure for short holders. Five-day momentum is -14.5%.

FCEL

2. WULF — Squeeze Score 87.2/100

WULF holds 31.2% short interest and flags on the FINRA threshold list, indicating sustained short-side pressure over the last seven trading days. Its borrow fee of 0.4% annualized keeps carry costs elevated. Five-day momentum is -3.1%.

WULF

3. PRME — Squeeze Score 85.3/100

PRME combines 27.9% short interest with a 6.4-day cover figure, the longest among the top five, extending the time shorts need to exit at recent volume. Its borrow fee is 0.4% annualized. Five-day momentum is +5.8%.

PRME

4. IREN — Squeeze Score 82.8/100

IREN posts 23.6% short interest but does not trigger the FINRA threshold flag, so short volume has not met the 7-day consecutive test. Its borrow fee of 0.4% annualized still raises carry costs for shorts. Five-day momentum is -7.7%.

IREN

5. BTDR — Squeeze Score 82.6/100

BTDR leads the top five with 38.1% short interest, the highest fraction of free float on today's board, and flags on the FINRA threshold list. Its borrow fee is 0.4% annualized with 5.9 days to cover. Five-day momentum is -9.8%.

BTDR

Factor Breakdown: How the Score Is Built

The Short Squeeze Score (setup v6, since 2026-10-07) gates on short interest of at least 15% of float from FINRA settlement data, 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, not a directional call. Borrow fee, days to cover and short-volume ratio are shown for context at zero weight. Learn more about the methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top short-squeeze candidates today?

The top three candidates on October 23, 2026 are FCEL at 95.3 with 33.2% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee, WULF at 87.2 with 31.2% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee, and PRME at 85.3 with 27.9% short interest and a 0.4% annualized borrow fee.

How does Tapeboard calculate its squeeze score?

Tapeboard gates names on short interest of at least 15% of float, then blends 20-day volatility (60%), 5-day float rotation (20%) and last-session relative volume (20%) as percentiles among the gated set. Borrow fee, days to cover and short-volume ratio are context-only inputs at zero weight.

When does short-interest data update?

Short interest follows the FINRA settlement schedule and lags roughly two weeks, while borrow fees update next-day from broker-dealer stock-loan data. Short-volume thresholds refresh daily from FINRA Consolidated NMS.

Data and Methodology

Squeeze score: Tapeboard composite, recomputed nightly.

Short interest: FINRA, ~2-week settlement lag.

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

Short-volume threshold: FINRA Consolidated NMS, daily.

Momentum: end-of-day.

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

NVAX drops out of the top 5 (was rank 2, score 92.2). NBIS drops out of the top 5 (was rank 5, score 87.8).

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.