SmileDirectClub (SDC) has found itself the latest target of Reddit retail traders looking to trigger a short squeeze. Shares of the orthodontics company surged by as much as 33% last week after research shared on r/wallstreetbets that showed a 34% short interest.
The data that sparked the retail trading frenzy was gathered by Quiver Quantitative and HypeEquity and indicated that the shorts have two days to cover. The high short interest rate combined with the term of the contracts gives retail traders the ingredients they believe are needed to trigger a short squeeze similar to what we saw happen with GameStop (GME) earlier this year.
Why it matters
Shares of SDC have fallen by around 50% since the beginning of this year, but on Friday finished up by nearly 30% from where it started the week on Monday morning.
