Short Interest Rises on NYSE

NEW YORK, Dec 24 (Reuters) – Short interest on the New York Stock Exchange rose by 2.4 percent in mid-December, according to the exchange's report on Tuesday.

As of Dec. 13, short interest increased to approximately 16.155 billion shares, up from 15.784 billion shares as of Nov. 29.

Investors who engage in short selling borrow shares and sell them, anticipating a drop in stock prices. They plan to buy back the shares at a lower cost, return them to the lender, and profit from the difference.