The October short interest represents 3.36 days average daily NASDAQ National Market share volume for the reporting period, compared with 3.97 days in September. Short interest in 581 securities on The NASDAQ SmallCap Market(SM) totaled 163,030,293 shares for October, compared with 161,236,079 shares in 584 securities for the month of September. This represents 2.15 days average daily volume, compared with last month's figure of 2.03 days.
In summary, short interest in all 3,316 NASDAQ(R) securities totaled 5,944,351,614 shares for October, compared with 3,337 issues and 5,811,842,432 shares in September. This is 3.87 days average daily volume, compared with last month's average of 3.31 days.
The open short-interest positions reported for each NASDAQ security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.
The monthly NASDAQ short-interest figures are current as of the 14th of the month and are released to the media after the market close on the seventh business day following that date. The figures this month include all short-interest positions reported September 12, 2005 through October 11, 2005 and settled as of October 14, 2005.
The total NASDAQ short positions for the preceding 12 months and current month follow:
| Settlement Date | Total Short Interest | Number of Securities |
| October 15, 2004 | 5,130,673,030 |
3,413 |
| November 15,2004 | 5,024,315,108 |
3,391 |
| December 15, 2004 | 5,095,006,234 |
3,393 |
| January 14, 2005 | 5,041,477,963 |
3,357 |
| February 15, 2005 | 5,357,779,121 |
3,371 |
| March 15, 2005 | 5,577,053,459 |
3,357 |
| April 15, 2005 | 5,609,077,523 |
3,347 |
| May 13, 2005 |
5,716,066,911 |
3,354 |
| June 15, 2005 | 5,840,614,782 |
3,344 |
| July 15, 2005 | 5,748,318,831 |
3,352 |
| August 15, 2005 | 5,821,353,067 |
3,353 |
| September 15, 2005 | 5,811,842,432 |
3,337 |
| October 25, 2005 | 5,944,351,614 |
3,316 |
For more information on NASDAQ Short-Interest positions, visit the www.nasdaqtrader.com Web site.
