Hi perdant - love the question and I'm no expert but reading the...

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    Hi perdant - love the question and I'm no expert but reading the ASX explanation on the lending of shares it seems the share parcel must end up back in the hands of the original lender sooner or later - i.e. back to the owner.

    In the meantime they have been used to cover a short or leverage or hedging or whatever the borrower wanted to achieve.

    The list of forms that participants must lodge with the ASX when borrowing shares is mentioned at the bottom of the explanation.

    https://www.asx.com.au/services/information-services/what-is-securities-lending.htm

    My reading of these is that they report the movement of shares under borrowed conditions but the overall shares on issue do not change (which makes sense) - I suppose hence the reason for the compulsory filling out of the appropriate form. The only impact on the shares due to borrowing mentioned by the ASX is the "directional price movement" if shorted - makes sense as well.

    You've probably read all this already but that's my take. No increase in the no. of shares but certainly change of ownership.
 
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