Hedge Fund VISP Shorted Stocks Anticiapting a September 2012 Stock Market Collapse
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
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
Hedge Fund VISP Shorted Stocks Anticiapting a September 2012 Stock Market Collapse http://t.co/wYwPusSc
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