Under Armour Short Interest Rises to 35.5%
Welcome to this week's installment of "The Short Interest Report" - The Fly's weekly recap of short interest trends among some of the most widely followed high-short-float stocks. Using the data from our partner, which utilizes the latest information from stock lenders to estimate short interest changes for thousands of publicly traded companies, this report will screen for some of biggest changes in short interest as a percentage of free float and days-to-cover ratios while also considering the short interest data on some of the more volatile and heavier-traded names of the week. Based on the availability of data from Ortex, the report tracks the trading period that covers prior Friday through Thursday of this week, excluding holidays. As a basis of comparison for stocks discussed below, the S&P 500 index was up 0.3%, the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.2%, the Russell 2000 index was up 2.7%, the Russell 2000 Growth ETFwas up 2.7%, and the Russell 2000 Value ETFwas up 2.9% in the five-day trading session range through January 15.SHORT INTEREST GAINERSOrtex-reported short interest on Under Armourhas been on a steady uptrend throughout the second half of 2025, rising from below 15% level in late June of 2025 to above 30% by mid-December. The final week of December and the first week of January had seen the growth in bearish positioning flatline, but this week, short interest as a percentage of free float on Under Armour hit record highs, spiking from 29.3% to 35.5%. Concurrently, elevated trading volume in the name resulted in days-to-cover on Under Armour falling from 7.9 to 7.1 - a three-week low. The stock traded down 4.0% in the five-day period covered through Thursday, though shares were up nearly 50% from late November trough and are still up 16% year-to-date in 2026.Ortex-reported short interest in United Parks & Resortstroughed at a two-month low of 19.2% on November 20, matching the 2025-low for the stock price. A 5% passive stake disclosed by Golden Tree Asset Management since then has helped the stock price bounce back, with shares now up 28% from those lows, though bearish positioning on the name has also tracked the higher stock price to the upside. This week, short positioning as a percentage of free float on the name accelerated its rise, gaining from 23.2% to a multi-year high of 27% while matching the exchange short interest data, which reached that level as of December-end. The stock was up 3.3% in the five-day period covered and has now gained 4.3% in 2026.Staying with the theme-park theme, Six Flags Entertainmenthas also seen an uncharacteristically steep bounce in bearish positioning in concert with a rebound in the stock. Ortex-reported short interest on the name has similarly reached an intermediate low in mid-November around 19%, matching the 2025 lows in shares, and the rebound in the stock has been comparably steep. Short position as a percentage of free float in Six Flags was up from 21.5% to 24.5% - a multi-month high. The stock, meanwhile, was up 3.9% in the five-day period covered, with shares up a similarly dramatic 32% from its November lows.Ortex-reported short interest on Celcuityhad troughed at a three-month low below 20% in the final week of November, followed by a gradual ascend that also included a one-point of 23.7%-24.7% from December 10 through the first week of January. This week however, the bears are showing more resolve, with shorts as a percentage of free float jumping from 23.7% to 28.8% - a two-month high. Days-to-cover on the name rose from 4.4 to 4.9 despite steady volume to start 2026. The stock has had a strong start to 2026 with a 7.2% gain, though in the five-day period covered, Celcuity was up just 0.6%, also registering an outsized loss on Thursday.SHORT INTEREST DECLINERSOrtex-reported short interest in NuScale Powerhas been on the back foot since mid-November as bears have largely been booking profits into year-end with shares moving decisively lower. A bounce in the stock price to start the year however has only brought on more covering among the shorts, and this week, bearish positioning as a percentage of free float was down from 25.4% to 21.8% - the lowest level since November 24 and within two percentage points of a five-month low. The stock was down 3.9% in the five-day period covered through Thursday of this week, but year-to-date, NuScale Power is up 42%.
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- Strategic Execution Progress: Under Armour's CEO Kevin Plank emphasized that the company is entering the next phase of its turnaround, having completed a 25% SKU reduction which significantly improved inventory levels, indicating substantial progress in execution and structure that enhances market competitiveness.
- Financial Performance Exceeds Expectations: Q3 revenue declined 5% to $1.3 billion, with North America down 10% but EMEA up 6%; the adjusted operating income outlook has been raised to $110 million, reflecting the company's efforts in cost control and execution consistency.
- Leadership Changes: Under Armour announced several strategic leadership changes, including Kara Trent as Chief Merchandising Officer, Adam Peake as President of the Americas, and Eric Liedtke as Chief Marketing Officer, aimed at driving business growth through product line simplification and enhancing emotional connections with the brand.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: The company updated its full-year revenue outlook to a decline of approximately 4%, improving from the previous 4%-5% decline expectation, showcasing management's confidence in future stability, particularly with ongoing growth in the EMEA region.
- Performance Exceeds Expectations: Under Armour reported Q3 2026 revenue of $1.327 billion, a 5% year-over-year decline, yet it surpassed analyst expectations of $1.313 billion, indicating resilience in challenging market conditions.
- Improved Adjusted EPS: While diluted loss per share was $1.01, the adjusted EPS came in at 9 cents, beating the expected loss of 2 cents, reflecting progress in cost control and operational efficiency.
- Diverse Regional Performance: North America revenue fell 10% to $757 million, while international revenue rose 3% to $577 million, with Latin America up 20%, highlighting varying performance and growth opportunities across global markets.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Under Armour raised its adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal 2026 to 10-11 cents, exceeding market expectations, and projected revenue of approximately $4.96 billion, despite an overall expected decline of 4%, showcasing management's confidence in future growth.
- Under Armour's CEO Statement: The CEO of Under Armour believes that the most disruptive phase of their reset strategy is now behind them.
- Focus on Future Growth: The company is looking forward to focusing on future growth and stability after overcoming recent challenges.
Under Armour CEO's Perspective: The CEO of Under Armour expresses encouragement from the insights gained through the book "How Our Fall Order Book is Shaping Up in America."
Impact on Business Strategy: The book's findings are influencing Under Armour's business strategies and operations in the American market.

Business Recovery: Under Armour's CEO indicates that North American business is starting to recover, showing signs of improvement after a challenging period.
Quarterly Marketing Strategy: The company is focusing on marketing strategies for the upcoming quarter to enhance brand visibility and drive sales.
Resetting Expectations: Under Armour is working on resetting expectations following a period of decline, aiming to stabilize and grow its market presence.
Future Outlook: The CEO expresses optimism about the future, suggesting that the company is on the right path to recovery and growth in the competitive sportswear market.
- Earnings Beat: Under Armour's Q3 adjusted operating results exceeded expectations, with CEO Kevin Plank noting brand momentum is being reignited despite some non-recurring impacts, suggesting greater stability ahead.
- Sales Guidance Adjustment: The company now expects FY26 sales to decline by approximately 4%, better than the previous forecast of a 4% to 5% decline, with an 8% drop in North American sales offset by a 9% increase in EMEA sales, indicating market performance divergence.
- Profit Outlook Raised: Under Armour raised its adjusted profit outlook to a range of $0.10 to $0.11 per share, surpassing the consensus estimate of $0.05, reflecting improvements in cost management and market strategy.
- Gross Margin Expectations: The gross margin is now expected to decline by 190 basis points, primarily due to rising tariffs and unfavorable channel and regional mix, although this aligns with the previous guidance of a 190 to 210 basis point decline.







