Highest Borrow-Fee Stocks Today: October 9, 2026 — Hard-to-Borrow Rates
BIAF carries the highest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 372.5% annualized as of October 9, 2026, with 15 names in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier.
TL;DR: As of 10:50 PM ET on October 9, 2026, BIAF carries the highest borrow fee in Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 372.5% annualized. OFAL ranks second at 171.1% annualized, and XPON ranks third at 129.7% annualized, both as of October 9, 2026.
The costliest name to borrow on a market-wide basis is BIAF at 372.5% annualized as of October 9, 2026. Fees on today's list span 2.8% to 372.5% annualized; the median is 13.8%. Rates in the triple-digit range typically flag distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently listed names where shares are nearly impossible to locate in the lending pool, rather than conventional short squeeze setups. The borrow fee is best read as a cost-to-short signal, not a directional call.
Today's Hard-to-Borrow Rate Table
| Rank | Symbol | Annualized Borrow Fee | Rebate Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIAF | 372.5% | −368.6% |
| 2 | OFAL | 171.1% | −167.2% |
| 3 | XPON | 129.7% | −125.8% |
| 4 | TOPS | 127.8% | −123.9% |
| 5 | VIVK | 77.4% | −73.5% |
| 6 | PARA | 55.3% | −51.4% |
| 7 | CETX | 44.2% | −40.4% |
| 8 | WKHS | 30.2% | −26.3% |
| 9 | BYND | 27.5% | −23.6% |
| 10 | SES | 25.7% | −21.8% |
| 11 | KITT | 25.0% | −21.1% |
| 12 | VVOS | 14.0% | −10.1% |
| 13 | GRRR | 13.8% | −9.9% |
| 14 | OPAD | 13.5% | −9.6% |
| 15 | BIRD | 10.3% | −6.4% |
| 16 | SPWR | 6.5% | −2.6% |
| 17 | LCID | 6.0% | −2.1% |
| 18 | AISP | 5.5% | −1.6% |
| 19 | EVTL | 5.4% | −1.6% |
| 20 | CRMT | 4.7% | −0.8% |
| 21 | ACB | 4.1% | −0.2% |
| 22 | CHPT | 3.8% | 0.1% |
| 23 | USAR | 3.2% | 0.6% |
| 24 | RUM | 3.1% | 0.7% |
| 25 | FUBO | 2.8% | 1.1% |
*Source: securities-lending rates as compiled by Tapeboard, October 9, 2026 10:50 PM ET. Market-wide ranking across all tracked securities. Not investment advice.*
Borrow-Fee Tiers
Tapeboard categorizes annualized borrow fees as normal (under 2%), elevated (2-10%), hard-to-borrow (10-50%), and extreme (above 50%). On October 9, 2026, 15 names on today's market-wide list fell in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tier. The extreme tier today includes BIAF, OFAL, XPON, TOPS, VIVK, and PARA, each above 50% annualized as of October 9, 2026. Names like TOPS are well known for repeated reverse splits, which often leave the lendable pool thin, and that structural scarcity is what drives triple-digit fees rather than any squeeze dynamic.
What a High Borrow Fee Signals
An annualized borrow fee is the stock-loan cost a short seller pays to maintain a bearish position. A high fee reflects scarcity in the lendable pool: when few shares are available to borrow, lenders charge more. It does not by itself predict a squeeze. Names with triple-digit fees are often distressed, very-low-float, post-reverse-split, or recently IPO'd stocks where shares are almost impossible to locate, and a high cost-to-short is not the same as squeeze potential. For that reason, borrow fee is weighted 25% in Tapeboard's composite squeeze score, which also factors in short interest, price momentum, and volume. See the methodology for the full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which stocks have the highest borrow fees today?
As of October 9, 2026, BIAF leads Tapeboard's market-wide ranking at 372.5% annualized, followed by OFAL at 171.1% and XPON at 129.7%. All three sit in the extreme tier, above 50% annualized.
What is considered a high stock borrow fee?
Tapeboard defines borrow fees as normal under 2%, elevated from 2-10%, hard-to-borrow from 10-50%, and extreme above 50% annualized. Anything in the hard-to-borrow or extreme tiers signals meaningful scarcity in the lending pool.
Where do these borrow rates come from?
Tapeboard compiles stock-loan borrow fees daily and refreshes them each evening across the full market universe. Rates are daily, not real-time intraday, and may differ from rates at other brokers.
Data and Methodology
The borrow fee figures are broker-dealer stock-loan data, updated daily each evening on a market-wide basis, consistent with securities-lending conditions reported to FINRA, the SEC, and the exchanges. The rebate rate is securities-lending data, shown where available; a negative rebate means the borrower pays additional cost on top of the fee. See the Short Squeeze Score ranking, the full daily archive, or the hard-to-borrow leaderboard for the live pillar.
What Changed vs the Previous Record
OFAL enters the top 5 at rank 2 (171.073% annualized), new to the leader board. TOPS enters the top 5 at rank 4 (127.7823% annualized), new to the leader board. VIVK enters the top 5 at rank 5 (77.4034% annualized), new to the leader board. JZ drops out of the top 5 (was rank 1, 527.8% annualized). PARA drops out of the top 5 (was rank 4, 55.4% annualized). CETX drops out of the top 5 (was rank 5, 43.3% annualized).
This record is for educational and informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Borrow fees reflect securities-lending conditions reported in daily securities-lending data; they are not real-time intraday rates and may differ from rates at other brokers. A high borrow fee does not constitute a buy or sell signal. Short selling carries unlimited downside risk. Editor: Marcus Reilly.