Fails to Deliver: Short Squeeze Watch
When a sale settles and the seller does not hand over the shares, it is a 'fail to deliver'. A sudden jump in fails can point to heavy short selling that sellers struggle to cover, one of the ingredients of a short squeeze.
The data will appear after the next update.
From the SEC's fails-to-deliver files, published twice a month with a delay of about two weeks. Fails can also come from paperwork delays and options activity, so a spike is a reason to look closer, not proof of anything. Only stocks with at least $250,000 of daily fails are listed.
Examples
- In January 2021 GameStop had millions of shares failing to deliver in the days before its famous short squeeze. The SEC later studied the episode in a staff report.
About this page
WallStPal explains public SEC filings and congressional stock trade reports in plain English. Nothing is for sale; the site is free and supported by ads.
How to read it
- Form 4
- The form a company insider (officer, director or owner of more than 10%) must file with the SEC within two business days of buying or selling the company's shares.
- 13F
- A quarterly list of U.S. stocks held by an investment manager with more than $100 million, filed within 45 days after each quarter ends.
- STOCK Act
- A 2012 law that requires members of Congress to report stock trades by themselves, a spouse or a dependent child within 45 days.
A real example
In January 2016, when bank stocks were falling, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon bought 500,000 JPMorgan shares with his own money, worth about $26 million. His Form 4 made the purchase public within days, and investors read it as a strong sign of confidence.
Explain it like I'm 13
We read the long, boring forms that grown-ups file with the government and tell you what they say in normal words.
Data from public SEC filings and congressional reports. Information, not investment advice. Check every number against the filing linked on the page.