Stock Markets May 12, 2026 09:58 AM

Intellia Leads Biotech Short Interest Increase in Baird’s Latest Review

Baird data through April 30, 2026, shows NTLA posting the largest absolute rise while Denali records the biggest drop among covered biotech names

By Jordan Park NTLA DNTH IOVA CRSP KPTI

Baird’s most recent short interest snapshot, with data dated April 30, 2026, shows Intellia Therapeutics registering the largest absolute uptick in short interest among the firm’s biotech coverage, while Denali Therapeutics posted the steepest decline. Total short positions across 65 covered biotech companies rose modestly versus the prior two-week period, and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF slipped during the same window.

Intellia Leads Biotech Short Interest Increase in Baird’s Latest Review
NTLA DNTH IOVA CRSP KPTI

Key Points

  • Intellia Therapeutics saw the largest absolute increase in short interest among Baird-covered biotech stocks - rising 4 percentage points to 39% of float from 35% as of April 30, 2026.
  • Denali Therapeutics recorded the largest absolute drop in short interest - falling 12 percentage points to 13% of float from 25% over the same two-week period.
  • Aggregate short positions across 65 biotech companies in Baird’s coverage increased 1.3% versus the prior period; the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) declined 3.8% in the same window.

Baird’s latest short interest update for its biotech coverage, using data current as of April 30, 2026, highlights a notable shift in positioning among several names in the sector.

Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NTLA) recorded the largest absolute increase in short interest over the two-week reporting window, with short interest rising 4 percentage points to 39% of float from 35%.

By contrast, Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ:DNTH) experienced the greatest absolute reduction in short interest during the same period. Denali’s short interest fell 12 percentage points, moving down to 13% of float from 25%.

Baird noted that eight stocks within its biotech coverage now have short interest above 20% of float. Among the most heavily shorted names across the firm’s universe are Intellia (NTLA), Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:IOVA), CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP), and Karyopharm Therapeutics (NASDAQ:KPTI), based on FactSet data cited in the update.

Looking at aggregate positioning, total shares sold short across all 65 biotech companies covered by Baird increased 1.3% relative to the prior reporting period. That marks a directional change from the previous report, which showed a 3.4% decrease in total short positions approximately two weeks earlier.

Market performance during the two-week window tracked by the report also showed weakness: the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSE:XBI) declined 3.8% over the same period.


These figures provide a snapshot of short-side sentiment within Baird’s biotech coverage as of the April 30, 2026 data cut. The dataset highlights both individual stock moves in short interest - notably the increase at Intellia and the decline at Denali - and the broader trend of a modest overall rise in short positions across the covered group.

The update offers investors and market participants a periodic view of how short sellers are reallocating exposure across the biotech sector, and how those positioning shifts align with recent ETF performance in the space.

Risks

  • Short interest levels can change quickly - the report covers a two-week window and may not reflect subsequent position adjustments, affecting exposure assessments for the biotech sector.
  • Concentrated short positioning in several names (eight stocks above 20% of float) could amplify volatility in individual biotech equities and impact trading dynamics within the sector.
  • ETF performance in the reporting period - XBI’s 3.8% decline - suggests sectorwide weakness that may influence both long and short strategies across biotech and related market segments.

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