shorting30 Nov 2018 19:51
cut and pasted from thestreet.com
Could it be in anticipation of the japanese results??
“Not that individual investors are usually the ones to short-sell stocks. Many short-sellers are hedge funds, trying to protect themselves during a bearish market or worse.
Short-selling is done at times, not just to possibly make a profit, but try to avoid any more disastrous losses. When the market is in a downturn, it can be difficult to find a stock you can profit from while buying. Short-selling a stock gives investors the option to make money in environments where it has become harder to do so.
It is also done to mitigate losses from a declining stock in your portfolio. Say you own shares in a stock that has gone from a value of $150 to $125. You see the writing on the wall and don't anticipate it going back up anytime soon. You could sell it to try to avoid deeper losses. Or, an investor looking to get a little money back could short-sell their shares, and -- if the value continues to decline -- buy them back and perhaps be able to pocket some money from the whole ordeal”.