Short (Short Position) Definition

A trader establishes a 'short' or 'short position' when he typically sells securities with the intention of eventually buying them back or covering them at a loss. When a trader predicts that the price of an asset will drop soon, he may elect to short that security. Short positions come in two options: covered and naked.

When a trader sells a security while not owning it, this is known as a naked short. However, for stocks, that approach is forbidden in the United States. When a trader borrows shares from a stock loan division and pays a borrowing rate for the length of the short position, this is known as a covered short.

Introduction to Short Positions

When opening a short position, it's important to remember that the trader has a limited chance of making money and an unlimited chance of losing it. This is so because the stock's profit potential is constrained by its distance from zero. A stock, however, may soar for years, hitting a string of higher highs. One of the most dangerous aspects of going short is the potential for a short squeeze.

When short traders begin to cover their positions in a stock that is heavily shorted during the price of the stock spikes, it creates a short squeeze. One infamous short squeeze took place in October 2008 when short sellers hurried to cover their shares, sending Volkswagen's stock surging higher. The stock increased during the short squeeze from approximately €200 to €1,000 in just over a month.

Creating a Short Position

To place a short order, an investor must first have access to this type of order within their brokerage account. You need a margin account to open a short position because a short trade will result in margin and interest charges. Once you have the appropriate account type and necessary permissions, you can enter the order details on the order screen just like you would for any other trade.

Just keep in mind that you are opening a position by selling an asset to close the deal by purchasing it later at a lower price. A short position's entry price is equal to its sale price, and its exit price is equal to its purchase price. Furthermore, keep in mind that margin trading may also involve interest, margin requirements, and maybe additional brokerage fees.

A Good Example of a Short Position

A trader predicts a decline in the price of Amazon's stock following the release of its quarterly results. To take advantage of this opportunity, the trader borrows 1,000 shares from his stock loan division and shorts the stock. The dealer then proceeds to sell 1,000 shares short for $1,500. The company reports weaker-than-anticipated revenue in the ensuing weeks and guides for a weaker-than-anticipated forward quarter. The trader buys to cover the short position when the stock falls to $1,300. The transaction generates a profit of $20,000, or $200 per share.

Margin: What is it?

In the financial sector, a margin is collateral that an investor must deposit with their broker or exchange to cover the credit risk the holder poses for the broker or exchange. Without sufficient margin, it is, for example, impossible to establish a short position. According to Regulation T, the Federal Reserve Board mandates that all short sale accounts hold 150% of the short sale's value when the sale is started. The 150% is made up of the full proceeds from the short sale (100%) plus a further margin requirement equal to 50% of the short sale's value.

What is the maximum loss on a short position?

In order to eventually buy the asset at a lower price, an investor who borrows security sells it on the open market. The price of an asset theoretically has no upper limit and is infinitely scalable. This implies that the potential loss on a short position is theoretically limitless.

A Short Squeeze: What is it?

Shares that have been borrowed, sold, and then repurchased in the future are referred to as "short positions". Investors must deal with losses to their short position when the prices of the underlying assets increase. As the price of the underlying asset rises, so does the amount of margin required as collateral to assure that the investor will be able to buy back the shares and return them to the broker, making it difficult to maintain a short position in addition to the pressure of growing paper losses. When investors are pressured to purchase back shares to cover their short position, a short squeeze happens.