UK short positions by sector
Disclosed short positions in United Kingdom grouped by our own coarse sector buckets, as of 25 Aug 2026. Averages are across the companies we have classified, 168 of 420 in this market's dataset; the rest are smaller names awaiting classification.
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| Sector | Companies | Average short % | Highest | Most shorted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | 23 | 5.35% | 19.86% | Vistry Group PLC |
| Consumer retail | 15 | 5.00% | 11.71% | WH SMITH PLC |
| Consumer services | 14 | 4.90% | 11.44% | Wizz Air Holdings PLC |
| Energy | 12 | 4.74% | 11.87% | CERES POWER HOLDINGS PLC |
| Technology | 12 | 4.55% | 8.23% | Pinewood Technologies Group Plc |
| Industrials | 25 | 4.48% | 13.36% | CAPITA PLC |
| Utilities | 3 | 4.31% | 8.22% | PENNON GROUP PLC |
| Media & telecom | 11 | 4.29% | 7.97% | REACH PLC |
| Materials | 16 | 4.09% | 17.81% | IBSTOCK PLC |
| Healthcare | 11 | 3.88% | 8.42% | SMITH & NEPHEW PLC |
| Consumer goods | 9 | 3.58% | 5.88% | C & C GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY |
| Financials | 17 | 1.98% | 4.52% | LEGAL & GENERAL GROUP PLC |
About these sectors
Buckets are our own editorial classification, deliberately coarse, and not the licensed GICS or ICB schemes. Companies we have not yet classified are excluded from sector averages but still appear in the full league table and A–Z directory. Spotted a company in the wrong bucket? See the about page for how to reach us.