Ann: Investment Update, page-24

Atlas Iron most-shorted stock on ASX200. AFR Breaking News
SARAH THOMPSON, ANTHONY MACDONALD AND GRETCHEN FRIEMANN

Pilbara miner Atlas Iron has overtaken Cochlear to be the most-shorted stock in the top 200.

According to CBA Equities’ weekly short positions report, hedge funds were lining up to place bets against Atlas last week with 16.2 per cent of its shares now in the hands of short-sellers.

It means Atlas is now the most-shorted stock, as measured by shares held short as a proportion of market value, ahead of Cochlear, Acrux, Metcash and Myer. CBA said short positions across the whole market increased by $520 million in the past week, including market movements. The analysts said aggregate short positions represented 1.24 per cent of the S&P/ASX 200 index’s market value.