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Stock research / United States / LUV / Short interest

Southwest Airlines Co. short interest

23.3M shares of Southwest Airlines were sold short at the 15 October 2026 settlement, near the middle of its range over the last year (19.3M to 33.5M). Short sellers would need 3.8 days of normal trading to buy them back.

Shares sold short23.3Mat 15 Oct 2026
Change on the settlement before-5.0%-28% over a year
Days to cover3.80at 6.1M shares a day
Of shares in issue4.76%shares short over shares outstanding
New to this? How to read this page
  1. Short interest is the number of shares investors have borrowed and sold, betting the price will fall, and not yet bought back.
  2. Days to cover is shares short over an average day's trading: how many days it would take short sellers to buy them all back. Above 5 or so is high.
  3. Rising short interest says more investors are betting against the stock. A crowded short can also rise fast if shorts rush to buy back.
  4. Brokers report it twice a month to FINRA, about ten days after each settlement date.
  5. What is short interest?

Short interest, days to cover and the price

Short interest is near the middle of its range over the last year (19.3M to 33.5M), and the share price moved +32% over the last year.

Shares sold shortDays to coverShare price

Three charts on one timeline. Top: shares sold short at each settlement. Middle: days to cover, taller meaning shorts would need longer to buy back. Bottom: the share price, so you can see whether shorts added as the price fell or rose.

How it compares

every company on the site

    The bar ranks every company on the site from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right, in three equal thirds; the small figures under it are the values where each third starts, and the black tick is the middle company. The orange dot is this company; the grey ticks are the other companies in its industry (hover or tap for names). A hatched block is companies tied at none.

    Every settlement since 29 Dec 2017 as a table
    SettlementShares shortChangeAverage daily volumeDays to cover
    15 October 202623.3M-5.0%6.1M3.80
    30 September 202624.5M+11.2%7.0M3.49
    15 September 202622.1M-21.6%4.9M4.50
    31 August 202628.2M+12.3%4.4M6.41
    14 August 202625.1M-23.8%4.6M5.46
    31 July 202632.9M+4.2%5.8M5.67
    15 July 202631.6M+1.3%5.1M6.14
    30 June 202631.2M-2.7%8.3M3.75
    15 June 202632.0M+9.5%5.6M5.70
    29 May 202629.3M+24.3%7.2M4.08
    15 May 202623.5M+3.8%6.4M3.66
    30 April 202622.7M+17.3%7.9M2.88
    15 April 202619.3M-5.4%7.4M2.61
    31 March 202620.4M-9.0%8.5M2.41
    13 March 202622.5M-8.1%11.4M1.97
    27 February 202624.4M+2.7%10.2M2.39
    13 February 202623.8M-22.6%10.9M2.19
    30 January 202630.7M+38.7%12.0M2.57
    15 January 202622.2M-10.9%8.5M2.60
    31 December 202524.9M-3.4%8.5M2.91
    15 December 202525.8M-19.6%13.3M1.93
    28 November 202532.1M-4.2%6.0M5.34
    14 November 202533.5M-0.1%8.7M3.84
    31 October 202533.5M+3.1%11.4M2.94
    15 October 202532.5M-4.1%8.2M3.98
    30 September 202533.9M-11.5%10.8M3.15
    15 September 202538.3M+7.8%8.5M4.53
    29 August 202535.6M-2.1%6.2M5.73
    15 August 202536.3M+0.2%8.4M4.30
    31 July 202536.3M+2.3%15.0M2.41
    15 July 202535.5M-12.7%10.9M3.24
    30 June 202540.6M-14.5%11.6M3.50
    13 June 202547.5M-6.6%10.8M4.40
    30 May 202550.9M-8.5%12.4M4.11
    15 May 202555.6M-8.6%11.0M5.05
    30 April 202560.8M+83.6%15.0M4.06
    15 April 202533.1M-0.0%16.8M1.97
    31 March 202533.1M-6.1%12.6M2.62
    14 March 202535.3M-15.3%17.7M1.99
    28 February 202541.6M+29.2%9.4M4.44
    14 February 202532.2M-7.0%7.9M4.08
    31 January 202534.7M+8.5%10.3M3.38
    15 January 202532.0M-9.6%6.4M4.96
    31 December 202435.4M+4.4%5.6M6.28
    13 December 202433.9M-3.4%8.2M4.14
    29 November 202435.1M+1.6%5.5M6.41
    15 November 202434.5M-13.2%6.3M5.52
    31 October 202439.8M-6.8%9.0M4.41
    15 October 202442.7M-7.1%6.9M6.15
    30 September 202445.9M+6.1%9.8M4.70
    13 September 202443.3M-17.2%8.0M5.44
    30 August 202452.2M+8.3%9.5M5.50
    15 August 202448.3M+9.8%12.7M3.80
    31 July 202443.9M-4.1%11.3M3.90
    15 July 202445.8M+29.6%11.0M4.17
    28 June 202435.3M+12.7%8.7M4.07
    14 June 202431.3M-6.2%11.8M2.65
    31 May 202433.4M+34.0%8.5M3.92
    15 May 202424.9M+11.5%9.4M2.66
    30 April 202422.4M+15.1%12.3M1.81
    15 April 202419.4M+20.7%8.4M2.31
    28 March 202416.1M-9.0%7.2M2.22
    15 March 202417.7M+0.7%11.0M1.61
    29 February 202417.6M-8.9%6.5M2.72
    15 February 202419.3M-6.7%7.3M2.64
    31 January 202420.7M+0.3%9.8M2.11
    12 January 202420.6M-12.2%8.0M2.59
    29 December 202323.5M-17.6%6.3M3.73
    15 December 202328.5M+26.8%12.2M2.34
    30 November 202322.5M-7.0%6.4M3.52
    15 November 202324.1M-2.9%7.3M3.29
    31 October 202324.9M+6.8%8.9M2.80
    13 October 202323.3M-4.7%7.7M3.02
    29 September 202324.4M+2.1%6.7M3.64
    15 September 202323.9M+14.2%6.9M3.44
    31 August 202320.9M-9.6%5.2M4.02
    15 August 202323.1M-11.1%7.4M3.13
    31 July 202326.0M+35.4%10.4M2.51
    14 July 202319.2M-3.9%8.3M2.33
    30 June 202320.0M+13.0%7.2M2.77
    15 June 202317.7M+3.1%7.8M2.27
    31 May 202317.2M-0.7%5.9M2.92
    15 May 202317.3M+9.1%6.6M2.63
    28 April 202315.9M+17.3%9.2M1.72
    14 April 202313.5M+6.2%6.2M2.16
    31 March 202312.7M+8.7%5.9M2.16
    15 March 202311.7M+16.1%8.4M1.39
    28 February 202310.1M+5.7%5.5M1.85
    15 February 20239.6M-6.6%5.8M1.64
    31 January 202310.2M+17.5%7.3M1.39
    13 January 20238.7M-4.5%8.0M1.09
    30 December 20229.1M+5.4%8.2M1.11
    15 December 20228.6M-8.3%5.8M1.48
    30 November 20229.4M+3.5%3.8M2.49
    15 November 20229.1M-9.9%5.9M1.55
    31 October 202210.1M+1.4%6.9M1.46
    14 October 202210.0M-14.8%5.4M1.84
    30 September 202211.7M+9.7%7.1M1.64
    15 September 202210.7M+16.8%5.2M2.04
    31 August 20229.1M+6.0%4.5M2.05
    15 August 20228.6M-10.9%4.7M1.83
    29 July 20229.7M-5.3%6.9M1.41
    15 July 202210.2M-15.3%5.9M1.74
    30 June 202212.1M-5.2%6.7M1.81
    15 June 202212.7M-10.2%5.4M2.36
    31 May 202214.2M-6.5%4.3M3.32
    13 May 202215.1M-0.7%5.6M2.72
    29 April 202215.2M+1.7%6.9M2.22
    14 April 202215.0M+1.4%7.2M2.09
    31 March 202214.8M-19.6%6.2M2.37
    15 March 202218.4M-2.0%11.0M1.68
    28 February 202218.8M+3.9%7.3M2.59
    15 February 202218.1M+0.6%7.3M2.48
    31 January 202218.0M+5.6%8.4M2.13
    14 January 202217.0M-15.8%8.2M2.06
    31 December 202120.2M+1.9%9.3M2.17
    15 December 202119.8M+14.8%12.9M1.54
    30 November 202117.3M+5.7%8.5M2.02
    15 November 202116.3M-1.6%7.2M2.27
    29 October 202116.6M+7.7%6.9M2.39
    15 October 202115.4M-7.7%8.3M1.87
    30 September 202116.7M+4.0%7.5M2.24
    15 September 202116.0M+3.6%5.5M2.92
    31 August 202115.5M+4.0%6.9M2.24
    13 August 202114.9M-8.5%6.8M2.20
    30 July 202116.3M-1.2%9.5M1.71
    15 July 202116.5M-2.4%7.4M2.22
    30 June 202116.9M-1.1%7.0M2.40
    15 June 202117.1M+5.8%5.5M3.08
    28 May 202116.1M+0.9%5.3M3.06
    14 May 202116.0M+5.4%4.8M3.35
    30 April 202115.1M-4.7%5.1M2.97
    15 April 202115.9M-0.8%5.1M3.12
    31 March 202116.0M-6.1%6.7M2.38
    15 March 202117.1M+1.5%8.8M1.93
    26 February 202116.8M+8.6%9.1M1.85
    12 February 202115.5M-7.4%6.9M2.25
    29 January 202116.7M+5.3%7.1M2.35
    15 January 202115.9M-8.8%6.2M2.57
    31 December 202017.4M+4.9%5.3M3.30
    15 December 202016.6M+11.5%8.4M1.98
    30 November 202014.9M+9.0%8.1M1.84
    13 November 202013.6M-6.4%11.0M1.24
    30 October 202014.6M-13.4%8.4M1.73
    15 October 202016.8M-12.6%8.3M2.03
    30 September 202019.2M+16.2%11.2M1.72
    15 September 202016.5M+8.2%10.9M1.52
    31 August 202015.3M+0.5%10.4M1.47
    14 August 202015.2M+21.2%12.5M1.22
    31 July 202012.6M-7.4%11.3M1.11
    15 July 202013.6M-13.6%13.1M1.03
    30 June 202015.7M-12.4%18.2M1.00
    15 June 202017.9M-17.5%30.0M1.00
    29 May 202021.7M+10.5%26.8M1.00
    15 May 202019.6M+23.8%25.5M1.00
    30 April 202015.9M+89.6%25.2M1.00
    15 April 20208.4M-13.5%9.1M1.00
    31 March 20209.7M-18.9%11.0M1.00
    13 March 202011.9M+0.6%9.3M1.29
    28 February 202011.9M+11.7%6.5M1.81
    14 February 202010.6M-14.7%2.8M3.76
    31 January 202012.4M-31.4%5.5M2.28
    15 January 202018.1M-2.4%3.5M5.15
    31 December 201918.6M-0.8%3.6M5.11
    13 December 201918.7M+37.8%2.9M6.37
    29 November 201913.6M-0.2%2.1M6.59
    15 November 201913.6M-5.6%2.4M5.70
    31 October 201914.4M+59.8%5.1M2.82
    15 October 20199.0M+19.7%3.5M2.56
    30 September 20197.5M+45.8%3.9M1.93
    13 September 20195.2M-34.4%3.6M1.43
    30 August 20197.9M-1.0%3.2M2.48
    15 August 20198.0M+16.1%3.4M2.31
    31 July 20196.9M+11.4%4.4M1.57
    15 July 20196.2M-17.0%2.9M2.16
    28 June 20197.4M-35.0%3.7M1.98
    14 June 201911.4M+16.5%3.6M3.20
    31 May 20199.8M+15.5%3.4M2.87
    15 May 20198.5M+5.4%3.0M2.83
    30 April 20198.0M-10.9%3.8M2.09
    15 April 20199.0M-4.3%3.8M2.36
    29 March 20199.4M-2.4%5.5M1.71
    15 March 20199.7M-7.6%6.9M1.39
    28 February 201910.5M+12.2%7.4M1.41
    15 February 20199.3M-35.4%4.2M2.21
    31 January 201914.4M+0.9%5.5M2.63
    15 January 201914.3M+5.5%4.4M3.27
    31 December 201813.5M-14.1%4.5M3.03
    14 December 201815.8M-15.0%5.2M3.04
    30 November 201818.5M-2.7%3.8M4.86
    15 November 201819.1M+49.4%5.7M3.32
    31 October 201812.8M+2.5%7.5M1.70
    15 October 201812.5M-16.4%4.8M2.58
    28 September 201814.9M-12.1%3.9M3.81
    14 September 201816.9M+0.4%4.0M4.26
    31 August 201816.9M+41.5%3.6M4.68
    15 August 201811.9M+8.0%3.6M3.29
    31 July 201811.0M+5.4%5.8M1.89
    13 July 201810.5M-18.1%4.4M2.39
    29 June 201812.8M+9.6%6.3M2.02
    15 June 201811.7M+8.1%6.5M1.79
    31 May 201810.8M+9.2%7.4M1.47
    15 May 20189.9M-11.8%5.3M1.87
    30 April 201811.2M+5.2%5.9M1.89
    13 April 201810.7M-16.0%4.8M2.21
    29 March 201812.7M+14.3%5.8M2.19
    15 March 201811.1M+12.1%4.6M2.42
    28 February 20189.9M-4.0%4.0M2.48
    15 February 201810.3M-10.7%5.4M1.90
    31 January 201811.5M-7.7%5.9M1.94
    12 January 201812.5M+30.7%5.0M2.51
    29 December 20179.6M3.2M2.96
    Shares in millions (M) or thousands (K); hold the pointer on a figure for the exact count. FINRA publishes consolidated short interest twice a month, about ten days after each settlement.