We recently published a list of 15 Most Crowded Hedge Fund Stocks That Are Targeted by Short Sellers. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) stands against other most crowded hedge fund stocks that are targeted by short sellers.
Hedge funds piling into a stock is a signal of conviction. After all, if institutional investors are backing a company, there has to be a good reason for it, right?
Things get interesting when the same stock ends up with a high short interest. Where some investors back the company to become successful, others bet on its downfall. This contradiction is often eagerly tracked by investors, as it can potentially lead to explosive moves to either side.
Consider, for instance, a scenario where a stock with a high short interest and a high hedge fund holding starts going up. As everyone rushes to buy more of the already popular stock, short sellers rush to close their positions, triggering a strong bull rally.
We decided to shortlist stocks that were the most likely candidates for such a rally. To come up with our list of 15 most crowded hedge fund stocks that are targeted by short sellers, we only considered stocks with a market cap of at least $1 billion and a short interest of at least 3%. We then ranked these stocks by the number of hedge funds that have the stock in their portfolio.
An industrial facility emitting natural gas from large pipes, with workers in the foreground.
Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71
Short Interest: 3.54%
Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) is an independent natural gas production company in the United States. It acquires, explores, and develops properties to produce natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids.
Regardless of the increase in crude oil prices, short sellers raised their bets against oil and gas stocks. Amidst this industry-wide trend, EXE itself has a short interest of 3.54%. Despite this bearish sentiment, the firm received an upgrade last month.
KeyBanc recently upgraded Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) from Sector Weight to Overweight with a price target of $130. Analyst Tim Rezvan highlighted that the company is well-positioned to grow with its investment-grade rating and stable natural gas outlook.
Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 guidance. Management anticipates production to be 7.2 billion cubic feet equivalent per day by the end of 2025. To boost productive capacity for 2026, the company plans to invest $300 million. Aided by increasing data center and LNG demand, the firm anticipates stable natural gas prices. It also reiterates flexibility to change its plans based on market conditions.
Overall, EXE ranks 11th on our list of most crowded hedge fund stocks that are targeted by short sellers. While we acknowledge the potential of EXE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EXE but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
