Short interest in SpaceX rises ahead of earnings and lock-up expirations

Short interest in SpaceX has increased sharply, with bets against the company now equal to about 32% of its publicly tradable shares, according to estimates from S3 Partners. That reflects roughly 206 million shares sold short, up from about 185 million last week and far above levels seen about a month ago. The rise comes as investors look ahead to SpaceX’s first quarterly earnings report as a public company, due after U.S. markets close on Aug. 4, as well as later lockup expirations that could add more shares to trading. Analysts said traders are positioning around these events as they reassess the company’s valuation and longterm growth prospects. Elon Musk responded on X by saying that investors holding large short positions in SpaceX would not survive over time. SpaceX shares rose about 3% on Tuesday after analyst support, but the stock remains below its IPO price after recent declines.