Goldman Sachs (Ticker Symbol: GS) tracks a group of 50 stocks they like to refer to as the “Hedge Fund VISP” (Very-Important-Short-Position) basket.

The VISP stocks are the ones with the largest short positions against them as measured by total dollar value. These are the stocks that investors are betting will go down the most and these positions have largely been paying off.

NASDAQ’s short-sale circuit breakers, which are aimed at shielding stocks from manipulation by short sellers, have the hedge funds shorting ahead of a predicted September 2012 Stock Market Collapse.

When a stock drops more than 10% from the previous session’s closing price, a short-sale circuit breaker is implemented, imposing a restriction on prices at which a stock can be sold short.

“When triggered, it will prevent short selling, including potentially abusive or manipulative short selling sometimes called bear raids, from driving down further the price of a security that has already experienced a significant intra-day price decline, and will facilitate the ability of long sellers to sell first upon such a decline,” the Securities and Exchange Commission said when it introduced the short-sale circuit breaker in 2010.

Based on year-to-date total returns, 36 of the 50 positions are in the money.

Here is list the stocks based on the total dollar value of the short position against them.

Staples: $0.7 billion of short bets

Staples Ticker Symbol: SPLS

YTD return: -5 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Specialty Stores

Alcoa: $0.7 billion of short bets

Alcoa Ticker Symbol: AA

YTD return: 2 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Aluminum

Freeport-McMoRan: $0.7 billion of short bets

Freeport-McMoRan Ticker Symbol: FCX

YTD return: -5 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Diversified Metals & Mining

Sysco: $0.7 billion of short bets

Sysco Ticker Symbol: SYY

YTD return: 2 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 4 percent

Industry: Food Distributors

Comcast: $0.7 billion of short bets

Comcast Ticker Symbol: CMCSA

YTD return: 33 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Cable & Satellite

Merck & Co: $0.7 billion of short bets

Merck Ticker Symbol: MRK

YTD return: 14 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Fastenal: $0.8 billion of short bets

Fastenal Ticker Symbol: FAST

YTD return: -6 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 6 percent

Industry: Trading Companies & Distributors

MetLife: $0.8 billion of short bets

MetLife Ticker Symbol: MET

YTD return: -3 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Life & Health Insurance

McDonald’s: $0.8 billion of short bets

McDonald’s Ticker Symbol: MCD

YTD return: -9 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Restaurants

E.I. DuPont: $0.8 billion of short bets

DuPont Ticker Symbol: DD

YTD return: 5 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Diversified Chemicals

American Express: $0.8 billion of short bets

American Express Ticker Symbol: AXP

YTD return: 25 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Consumer Finance

Phillip Morris International: $0.8 billion of short bets

Phillip Morris Ticker Symbol: PM

YTD return: 18 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Tobacco

Carnival Corp: $0.8 billion of short bets

Carnival Ticker Symbol: CCL

YTD return: 4 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 6 percent

Industry: Hotels Resorts & Cruise Lines

CenturyLink: $0.8 billion of short bets

CenturyLink Ticker Symbol: CTL

YTD return: 10 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 3 percent

Industry: Integrated Telecom Services

Waste Management: $0.8 billion of short bets

Waste Management Ticker Symbol: WM

YTD return: 3 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 5 percent

Industry: Environmental & Facilities Services

Kohl’s: $0.8 billion of short bets

Kohl’s Ticker Symbol: KSS

YTD return: -1 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Department Stores

Host Hotels & Resorts: $0.8 billion of short bets

Host Hotels & Resorts Ticker Symbol: HST

YTD return: 8 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Specialized REITs

Cerner Corp: $0.9 billion of short bets

Cerner Ticker Symbol: CERN

YTD return: 35 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Health Care Technology

Procter & Gamble: $0.9 billion of short bets

Procter & Gamble Ticker Symbol: PG

YTD return: -6 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Household Products

Simon Property Group: $0.9 billion of short bets

Simon Property Ticker Symbol: SPG

YTD return: 25 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Retail REITs

Union Pacific: $0.9 billion of short bets

Union Pacific Ticker Symbol: UNP

YTD return: 13 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Railroads

Boston Properties: $1.0 billion of short bets

Boston Properties Ticker Symbol: BXP

YTD return: 11 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 6 percent

Industry: Office REITs

Chipotle Mexican Grill: $1.0 billion of short bets

Chipotle Ticker Symbol: CMG

YTD return: 14 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 8 percent

Industry: Restaurants

AvalonBay Communities: $1.0 billion of short bets

AvalonBay Ticker Symbol: AVB

YTD return: 12 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 7 percent

Industry: Residential REITs

Amgen: $1.0 billion of short bets

Amgen Ticker Symbol: AMGN

YTD return: 18 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Biotechnology

United Parcel Service: $1.0 billion of short bets

United Parcel Service Ticker Symbol: UPS

YTD return: 10 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Air Freight & Logistics

Schlumberger: $1.0 billion of short bets

Schlumberger Ticker Symbol: SLB

YTD return: -3 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Oil & Gas Equipment & Services

Oracle: $1.1 billion of short bets

Oracle Ticker Symbol: ORCL

YTD return: 14 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Systems Software

Bristol-Myers Squibb: $1.1 billion of short bets

Bristol-Myers Squibb Ticker Symbol: BMY

YTD return: 2 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Dell: $1.1 billion of short bets

Dell Ticker Symbol: DELL

YTD return: -16 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 4 percent

Industry: Computer Hardware

Home Depot: $1.1 billion of short bets

Home Depot Ticker Symbol: HD

YTD return: 25 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Home Improvement Retail

Lockheed Martin: $1.1 billion of short bets

Lockheed Martin Ticker Symbol: LMT

YTD return: 11 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 5 percent

Industry: Aerospace & Defense

Time Warner: $1.1 billion of short bets

Time Warner Ticker Symbol: TWX

YTD return: 7 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 3 percent

Industry: Movies & Entertainment

Walgreen Co: $1.2 billion of short bets

Walgreen Ticker Symbol: WAG

YTD return: -9 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 4 percent

Industry: Drug Retail

ConocoPhillips: $1.2 billion of short bets

ConocoPhillips Ticker Symbol: COP

YTD return: 0 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Oil & Gas Exploration & Production

Caterpillar: $1.2 billion of short bets

Caterpillar Ticker Symbol: CAT

YTD return: -7 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Construction & Farm Machinery & Heavy Trucks

Wal-Mart: $1.3 billion of short bets

Wal-Mart Ticker Symbol: WMT

YTD return: 22 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Hypermarkets & Super Centers

General Electric: $1.4 billion of short bets

General Electric Ticker Symbol: GE

YTD return: 14 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Industrial Conglomerates

Coca Cola: $1.4 billion of short bets

Coca Cola Ticker Symbol: KO

YTD return: 13 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Soft Drinks

Abbott Laboratories: $1.4 billion of short bets

Abbott Laboratories Ticker Symbol: ABT

YTD return: 19 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Walt Disney: $1.5 billion of short bets

Walt Disney Ticker Symbol: DIS

YTD return: 28 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Movies & Entertainment

Duke Energy: $1.7 billion of short bets

Duke Energy Ticker Symbol: DUK

YTD return: 1 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 6 percent

Industry: Electric Utilities

Verizon: $1.8 billion of short bets

Verizon Ticker Symbol: VZ

YTD return: 16 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Integrated Telecom Services

Chevron: $2.1 billion of short bets

Chevron Ticker Symbol: CVX

YTD return: 0 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Integrated Oil & Gas

AT&T: $2.3 billion

AT&T Ticker Symbol: T

YTD return: 22 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Integrated Telecom Services

Amazon.com: $2.4 billion of short bets

Amazon.com Ticker Symbol: AMZN

YTD return: 30 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 3 percent

Industry: Internet Retail

International Business Machines: $2.4 billion of short bets

International Business Machines Ticker Symbol: IBM

YTD return: 4 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: IT Consulting & Other Services

Intel: $2.6 billion of short bets

Intel Ticker Symbol: INTC

YTD return: 10 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Semiconductors

Exxon Mobil: $2.8 billion of short bets

Exxon Mobil Ticker Symbol: XOM

YTD return: 0 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 1 percent

Industry: Integrated Oil & Gas

Johnson & Johnson: $2.9 billion of short bets

Johnson & Johnson Ticker Symbol: JNJ

YTD return: 5 percent

Short interest as a % of float: 2 percent

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

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Tags: Abusive Short Selling, AT&T, GE, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, GS, Hedge Fund VISP, Manipulative Short Selling, NASDAQ, P&G, Procter & Gamble, Securities and Exchange Commission, September 2012 Stock Market Collapse, Short Position, Short Sale Circuit Breakers, Short Sellers, Short Selling, T, Very Important Short Position, VISP Basket