2026-09-27
Days to Cover: The Metric That Separates Squeezes From Noise
Not financial advice. Verify claims independently.
SI% tells you how crowded the short is. DTC tells you how trapped they are.
Two metrics get conflated:
- Short interest % — how much float is sold short (the crowd size)
- Days to cover — SI ÷ average daily volume (how long shorts need to exit)
Why DTC is the squeeze metric: a 30% SI stock with 2 days to cover can unwind quietly — the shorts just leave. A 15% SI stock with 14 days to cover (like NTLA) is a trap — they can't exit without moving the price.
The scoring formula on our board: SI% × DTC × borrow-fee trend = squeeze score. All three matter; DTC is usually the differentiator.
GME's ~33M SI is interesting. NTLA's 14.1 DTC is actionable. Learn the difference on Stock Picks.
Put it into practice
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