Short sellers are targeting these ASX shares. Should you worry?

Short sellers are targeting a familiar group of ASX shares this week, and two names are in sharp focus.

ASIC publishes an aggregated short position report covering every listed security.

It is one a genuinely useful public windows into what professional money is betting against.

This week’s table is led by DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) at 14.9% and Lotus Resources Ltd (ASX: LOT) at 13.6%.

Why these ASX shares are being shorted

Short interest above 10% is unusual.

It generally means a fund has done the work, taken a view, and is willing to pay to hold the position.

The list also includes 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) at 12.4%, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd (ASX: DMP) at 12.3% and CAR Group Ltd (ASX: CAR) at 12.1%.

Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) has also entered the top ten at 10.9% after a strong recovery in its share price.

The common thread is not weak businesses, but rather a gap between what the market is paying today and what these companies currently earn.

DroneShield: growth without profit

DroneShield is the most shorted stock on the ASX, and its half-year result showed why the argument remains unresolved.

Revenue jumped 74% to $125.8 million, and recurring revenue climbed 229% to $11.5 million.

The counter-drone specialist also swung to a statutory net loss of $32.2 million, from a $2.1 million profit a year earlier.

Underlying EBITDA was a $12.4 million loss.

Cash and term deposits stood at $180 million at 30 June, so funding is not the immediate concern.

Interestingly, more than half of revenue now comes from Europe and the United Kingdom.

The complications sit elsewhere.

The company changed chief executive during the half, with Angus Bean replacing Oleg Vornik, and Hamish McLennan took over as chairman.

An ASIC investigation also remains unresolved, and that alone keeps some institutions on the sidelines.

Lotus Resources: a ramp-up under scrutiny

Lotus Resources is a different case entirely.

The uranium producer restarted its Kayelekera mine in Malawi and is ramping toward steady-state production of 2.4 million pounds of uranium oxide a year.

The resource stands at 51.1 million pounds, the mine life is around ten years, and all-in sustaining costs are expected near US$45 per pound.

Binding offtake agreements cover 3.5 million pounds of sales between 2026 and 2029.

With uranium spot prices near US$89 per pound, the economics look comfortable on paper.

Short sellers are questioning the timeline rather than the orebody.

Ramp-ups slip, and a developer without steady production has no earnings to defend its valuation.

Short interest here has fallen sharply in recent weeks, which suggests some of that scepticism is already being unwound.

What short interest does not tell you about ASX shares

Plenty of heavily shorted companies go on to perform perfectly well.

Short interest tells you that someone is betting against a business, but not that they are necessarily right.

It also creates a risk of its own, because a crowded short position can unwind violently after a single piece of good news.

Foolish takeaway

I generally treat the short report with a fair bit of caution.

However, when more than one share in ten is sold short, it is worth understanding the bear case properly before you buy.

For DroneShield, that case is about profitability and governance.

For Lotus Resources, it is about execution.

Neither argument is unanswerable, but both are good reasons to approach these ASX shares carefully.

The post Short sellers are targeting these ASX shares. Should you worry? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Don’t panic if these 9 ASX 200 shares fall today
• Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today
• 5 ASX 200 shares with 33% to 61% upside post-results: experts
• Why 4DMedical shares could still rise 65%
• These are the 10 most shorted ASX shares

Motley Fool contributor Mark Verhoeven has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Domino’s Pizza Enterprises and DroneShield. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CAR Group Ltd and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.