KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
Key Takeaway:
Opendoor Technologies (NASDAQ: OPEN) has become the most shorted stock tracked by Moomoo, with short sellers piling in after a 1,000% rally since late June. Elevated short interest is fueling demand for downside protection, particularly via near-term $6 put options.
Short Interest Surges
As of Monday, 57 million Opendoor shares were sold short, equivalent to nearly 12% of daily trading volume.
This figure far outstrips short interest in mega-cap peers such as NVIDIA (18.8m shares shorted), underscoring the intensity of bearish positioning in Opendoor.
The short build-up coincided with a 9.2% drop in the stock on Monday.
Options Market Signals
By midday Tuesday, 131,170 put contracts traded versus 227,250 call options, marking the highest put-call ratio since April.
The most active contract was the $6 strike put expiring in three days, with volume reaching 33,520 contractsafter shares briefly dipped below the strike.
A notable bearish block trade saw an investor purchase 1,260 $6 puts for $56,660, highlighting growing demand for hedges against further weakness.
Market Sentiment
Former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli weighed in on social media, labeling Opendoor “an obvious short.” His post drew over 558,000 views but also sparked criticism given his past record of failed short calls.
Despite heavy short positioning, shares rebounded intraday, swinging between –2.3% and +6% before closing 4.5% higher at $6.31.
Investor Implications
Elevated short interest suggests heightened volatility risk, with potential for short squeezes if buying momentum continues.
On the other hand, aggressive put buying reflects concern that the stock’s parabolic rally may not be sustainable.
For active traders, monitoring the $6 strike options activity could provide insight into near-term market sentiment.
Comments
Post a Comment