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Stock research / United States / PAYX / Short interest

Paychex Inc. short interest

20.8M shares of Paychex were sold short at the 15 October 2026 settlement, the most since 13 Mar 2026. Short sellers would need 7.8 days of normal trading to buy them back.

Shares sold short20.8Mat 15 Oct 2026
Change on the settlement before+10.6%+63% over a year
Days to cover7.81at 2.7M shares a day
Of shares in issue5.85%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 the most since 13 Mar 2026, and the share price moved -8% 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

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    Every settlement since 29 Dec 2017 as a table
    SettlementShares shortChangeAverage daily volumeDays to cover
    15 October 202620.8M+10.6%2.7M7.81
    30 September 202618.8M-5.0%4.4M4.27
    15 September 202619.8M-3.0%2.5M8.06
    31 August 202620.4M+6.1%2.1M9.66
    14 August 202619.2M-4.5%2.3M8.23
    31 July 202620.1M+4.7%3.6M5.60
    15 July 202619.2M-5.6%2.9M6.66
    30 June 202620.4M-1.2%4.6M4.45
    15 June 202620.6M+3.0%2.9M7.00
    29 May 202620.0M-2.3%3.0M6.66
    15 May 202620.5M+7.0%3.2M6.37
    30 April 202619.1M-6.0%3.2M6.02
    15 April 202620.4M-1.5%3.6M5.58
    31 March 202620.7M-1.0%5.0M4.14
    13 March 202620.9M+4.7%3.7M5.72
    27 February 202619.9M-0.8%4.1M4.88
    13 February 202620.1M+16.2%4.6M4.35
    30 January 202617.3M+0.8%3.8M4.61
    15 January 202617.2M-2.0%2.6M6.49
    31 December 202517.5M+19.1%3.7M4.72
    15 December 202514.7M-5.7%3.6M4.06
    28 November 202515.6M+1.4%2.8M5.64
    14 November 202515.4M+4.3%3.1M4.95
    31 October 202514.8M+15.2%2.8M5.23
    15 October 202512.8M+1.7%2.7M4.73
    30 September 202512.6M-4.3%4.3M2.90
    15 September 202513.2M+3.9%1.8M7.35
    29 August 202512.7M+9.4%2.0M6.28
    15 August 202511.6M+0.8%2.4M4.89
    31 July 202511.5M-1.1%1.8M6.40
    15 July 202511.6M-9.8%2.7M4.28
    30 June 202512.9M+4.2%3.7M3.48
    13 June 202512.4M-0.5%1.5M8.46
    30 May 202512.4M-10.2%1.4M8.65
    15 May 202513.8M-1.3%1.5M8.95
    30 April 202514.0M-1.4%2.1M6.74
    15 April 202514.2M+2.6%2.8M5.05
    31 March 202513.9M-2.5%2.6M5.29
    14 March 202514.2M-0.8%2.5M5.61
    28 February 202514.3M+5.8%1.7M8.19
    14 February 202513.5M-6.1%1.4M9.38
    31 January 202514.4M-4.1%1.7M8.28
    15 January 202515.0M+9.3%2.1M7.29
    31 December 202413.8M-7.4%2.6M5.28
    13 December 202414.9M-14.3%1.8M8.34
    29 November 202417.3M+4.1%1.2M13.94
    15 November 202416.6M-12.1%1.9M8.86
    31 October 202418.9M+0.2%1.3M14.34
    15 October 202418.9M-3.0%2.0M9.67
    30 September 202419.5M-5.2%1.7M11.71
    13 September 202420.5M+8.6%1.4M14.40
    30 August 202418.9M+5.7%1.5M12.40
    15 August 202417.9M+7.8%1.7M10.31
    31 July 202416.6M-0.1%2.0M8.27
    15 July 202416.6M-3.2%1.7M9.96
    28 June 202417.2M+11.9%2.9M5.93
    14 June 202415.3M+10.1%1.7M9.00
    31 May 202413.9M+12.6%1.8M7.60
    15 May 202412.4M+0.2%1.4M9.06
    30 April 202412.3M+8.4%1.9M6.42
    15 April 202411.4M+2.0%2.4M4.68
    28 March 202411.2M-4.1%1.6M7.13
    15 March 202411.6M+7.4%2.0M5.71
    29 February 202410.8M+0.6%1.2M8.71
    15 February 202410.8M+12.7%1.8M6.10
    31 January 20249.6M-11.1%1.8M5.44
    12 January 202410.8M+7.3%1.5M7.25
    29 December 202310.0M-2.0%2.4M4.17
    15 December 202310.2M+2.0%2.2M4.71
    30 November 202310.0M+0.8%1.7M5.89
    15 November 20239.9M+9.4%1.9M5.18
    31 October 20239.1M-1.7%1.7M5.27
    13 October 20239.2M+3.3%1.6M5.87
    29 September 20239.0M-0.4%2.0M4.41
    15 September 20239.0M+0.4%1.4M6.37
    31 August 20239.0M-6.1%1.5M6.17
    15 August 20239.5M+5.8%1.3M7.45
    31 July 20239.0M-1.5%2.1M4.23
    14 July 20239.2M+14.0%2.6M3.57
    30 June 20238.0M-9.3%2.3M3.44
    15 June 20238.9M-5.7%1.9M4.64
    31 May 20239.4M-1.9%3.2M2.92
    15 May 20239.6M+0.1%1.6M6.07
    28 April 20239.6M-3.4%1.7M5.66
    14 April 20239.9M-2.5%2.3M4.25
    31 March 202310.2M+4.3%2.8M3.60
    15 March 20239.7M+4.3%1.7M5.82
    28 February 20239.3M+5.0%1.4M6.72
    15 February 20238.9M-6.7%1.6M5.63
    31 January 20239.5M+0.8%1.9M5.12
    13 January 20239.5M+7.4%1.4M6.76
    30 December 20228.8M-12.2%2.1M4.24
    15 December 202210.0M-1.2%1.5M6.89
    30 November 202210.1M+3.5%1.4M7.48
    15 November 20229.8M+3.4%1.6M6.26
    31 October 20229.5M-2.3%1.5M6.16
    14 October 20229.7M+7.1%1.9M5.15
    30 September 20229.1M+0.8%2.1M4.36
    15 September 20229.0M-1.5%1.5M5.96
    31 August 20229.1M-6.7%1.5M6.14
    15 August 20229.8M+0.5%1.3M7.81
    29 July 20229.7M-9.9%1.6M6.07
    15 July 202210.8M+9.2%1.4M7.51
    30 June 20229.9M+7.2%2.6M3.81
    15 June 20229.2M-3.3%1.4M6.79
    31 May 20229.5M+4.5%1.7M5.53
    13 May 20229.1M+15.1%2.0M4.45
    29 April 20227.9M-4.2%2.0M4.04
    14 April 20228.3M+1.4%2.2M3.73
    31 March 20228.2M-8.6%2.0M4.14
    15 March 20228.9M-11.8%1.5M5.85
    28 February 202210.1M+0.7%1.7M5.83
    15 February 202210.0M+12.0%2.0M5.03
    31 January 20229.0M+4.5%2.5M3.64
    14 January 20228.6M-2.3%1.8M4.71
    31 December 20218.8M-6.2%2.1M4.26
    15 December 20219.4M-2.2%1.4M6.61
    30 November 20219.6M+3.8%1.4M6.72
    15 November 20219.2M-2.4%1.0M9.14
    29 October 20219.5M+1.8%1.2M8.22
    15 October 20219.3M+6.4%1.5M6.18
    30 September 20218.7M-8.7%1.9M4.71
    15 September 20219.6M+2.0%1.2M8.05
    31 August 20219.4M-6.5%1.2M7.63
    13 August 202110.0M-10.6%993K10.11
    30 July 202111.2M+15.3%1.7M6.60
    15 July 20219.7M+11.1%1.6M6.04
    30 June 20218.8M-1.4%1.7M5.16
    15 June 20218.9M+4.2%1.2M7.49
    28 May 20218.5M+8.7%1.4M6.01
    14 May 20217.8M+11.8%1.5M5.30
    30 April 20217.0M+10.7%1.3M5.23
    15 April 20216.3M-7.1%2.0M3.21
    31 March 20216.8M+0.7%2.1M3.21
    15 March 20216.8M+1.1%1.7M4.06
    26 February 20216.7M-0.1%1.9M3.52
    12 February 20216.7M-5.5%1.2M5.56
    29 January 20217.1M+23.9%2.0M3.61
    15 January 20215.7M-8.3%1.4M3.99
    31 December 20206.3M+3.3%1.8M3.48
    15 December 20206.1M-21.5%1.3M4.63
    30 November 20207.7M-6.5%1.2M6.54
    13 November 20208.2M+8.3%1.4M5.77
    30 October 20207.6M-8.2%1.2M6.60
    15 October 20208.3M-16.7%1.8M4.71
    30 September 202010.0M+2.9%1.6M6.25
    15 September 20209.7M-11.5%1.7M5.79
    31 August 202010.9M+2.2%1.1M10.13
    14 August 202010.7M+3.2%1.5M7.20
    31 July 202010.4M+1.5%1.5M6.79
    15 July 202010.2M-1.0%2.1M4.82
    30 June 202010.3M-3.6%2.2M4.63
    15 June 202010.7M-8.2%1.7M6.14
    29 May 202011.7M-6.6%2.3M5.12
    15 May 202012.5M+8.8%2.0M6.27
    30 April 202011.5M+2.5%2.2M5.24
    15 April 202011.2M+61.7%3.4M3.29
    31 March 20206.9M-22.1%4.7M1.47
    13 March 20208.9M+8.7%3.0M3.02
    28 February 20208.2M-5.1%2.2M3.78
    14 February 20208.6M-5.1%944K9.14
    31 January 20209.1M+5.9%1.3M7.23
    15 January 20208.6M-2.2%1.1M7.69
    31 December 20198.8M-9.8%1.7M5.28
    13 December 20199.7M-3.2%1.1M8.94
    29 November 201910.1M+3.0%1.3M7.78
    15 November 20199.8M-0.7%1.3M7.28
    31 October 20199.8M+1.9%1.2M8.42
    15 October 20199.7M-13.4%1.7M5.75
    30 September 201911.1M-6.8%1.5M7.54
    13 September 201912.0M+0.4%1.9M6.40
    30 August 201911.9M+7.0%1.2M10.24
    15 August 201911.1M-2.6%1.8M6.08
    31 July 201911.4M+9.5%1.6M6.99
    15 July 201910.4M-6.9%2.3M4.63
    28 June 201911.2M-3.1%2.7M4.11
    14 June 201911.6M+1.7%1.7M6.98
    31 May 201911.4M+1.8%1.6M6.97
    15 May 201911.2M+23.7%1.9M5.89
    30 April 20199.0M-1.6%1.4M6.29
    15 April 20199.2M-7.9%1.6M5.57
    29 March 201910.0M-13.1%2.2M4.50
    15 March 201911.5M+9.6%2.0M5.79
    28 February 201910.4M+3.3%1.6M6.37
    15 February 201910.1M+19.9%2.4M4.30
    31 January 20198.4M+1.9%2.0M4.32
    15 January 20198.3M+2.2%1.8M4.53
    31 December 20188.1M-13.2%2.9M2.83
    14 December 20189.3M+3.1%2.1M4.38
    30 November 20189.0M+6.7%2.1M4.25
    15 November 20188.5M-8.0%2.1M4.03
    31 October 20189.2M-12.2%2.9M3.16
    15 October 201810.5M+0.5%2.8M3.71
    28 September 201810.4M+5.6%2.2M4.84
    14 September 20189.9M+10.0%1.5M6.75
    31 August 20189.0M+7.2%1.4M6.21
    15 August 20188.4M-1.7%1.5M5.78
    31 July 20188.5M-5.9%2.0M4.21
    13 July 20189.1M-11.5%2.1M4.28
    29 June 201810.3M-1.8%2.8M3.73
    15 June 201810.4M+3.5%1.9M5.36
    31 May 201810.1M-4.5%1.9M5.36
    15 May 201810.6M+4.7%2.2M4.89
    30 April 201810.1M-0.8%2.7M3.68
    13 April 201810.2M-15.5%1.8M5.69
    29 March 201812.0M+40.7%3.4M3.58
    15 March 20188.6M+2.4%1.7M5.02
    28 February 20188.4M-2.3%2.0M4.25
    15 February 20188.5M-7.7%2.7M3.18
    31 January 20189.3M-3.5%2.5M3.64
    12 January 20189.6M-4.2%2.1M4.53
    29 December 201710.0M1.9M5.18
    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.