Which broker is best for short selling?

Asked by: Rick Padberg  |  Last update: May 24, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (28 votes)

Quick Look at the Top Brokers for Short Selling:
  • Best for Cost-conscious Traders: moomoo.
  • Best Overall Brokerage for Short Selling: TradeZero.
  • Best for Short Selling Over $25k: Cobra Trading.
  • Best for Intermediate Traders: TradeStation.
  • Best for Global and Active Traders: IBKR GlobalAnalyst.
  • Best for Active Traders: Webull.

Does Charles Schwab allow short selling?

Short selling is available only to investors with margin trading privileges because it involves borrowing. It's only appropriate for those who are comfortable with the inherent risks. To sell short, work with your brokerage firm to borrow shares from another investor and then sell those. Here's an example.

Does TD Ameritrade allow short selling?

Fortunately, clients of TD Ameritrade can short real stocks. eToroeToro securities trading offered by eToro USA Securities Inc, member of FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk.

Does Robinhood allow short selling?

Answer: No, you cannot short stocks directly on Robinhood. Robinhood doesn't offer short selling, a strategy where you borrow shares to sell them hoping to buy them back later at a lower. However, it does offer some alternative ways to potentially profit from a stock price decline, such as buying put options.

Can I short sell on Webull?

Yes, you can short stocks on Webull if you meet the following requirements: Margin account: Selling short can only be done in a margin account. Minimum margin equity: Your margin equity must be at least $2,000. This excludes options and pending deposits.

Short Selling explained.. Short Selling for Beginners (Best Broker for Shorting)

29 related questions found

Does Fidelity allow short selling?

Currently, you can place buy to cover and sell short orders on Fidelity.com. To place other types of short sale orders, call a Fidelity representative at 800-544-6666. You can purchase stocks at any time after a short sale is executed to offset the short positions.

Does Etrade allow short selling?

To sell short on E*TRADE, you need to open a margin account, locate the stock you want to short, and place a short sell order using the appropriate order types. Once you have your margin account set up, it's crucial to understand the different order types available on the E*TRADE platform.

Can I short sell on Thinkorswim?

Let's go over how to open, monitor, and close a short stock position using the thinkorswim® paperMoney® platform. Remember, short selling is done on margin, so a trader must be in a margin-approved account. A margin account allows you to borrow against the securities you already hold in your brokerage account.

How much margin do I need to short sell?

A short sale transaction is like a mirror image of a long trade where margin is concerned. Under Regulation T, short sales require a deposit equal to 150% of the value of the position at the time the short sale is executed.

Who can do short selling?

To sell short, traders need to have a margin account using which they can borrow stocks from a broker-dealer. Traders need to maintain the margin amount in that account to continue keeping a short position. However, a margin account is only applicable when an investor is borrowing stocks from a broker.

Does Schwab lend my shares to short sellers?

Simply put, you're allowing Schwab to loan your eligible shares to other investors or financial institutions when there is demand for them, often driven by short selling.

How many times can you short sell?

There is no mandated limit to how long a short position may be held. Short selling involves having a broker who is willing to loan stock with the understanding that it is going to be sold on the open market and replaced at a later date.

Does Merrill Lynch allow short selling?

The Margin Lending Program (margin) provides an extension of credit based on eligible securities used as collateral from your qualified Merrill accounts. Margin offers a source of liquidity with competitive rates that allows for timely market investments, diversification, stock option financing or short selling.

Why is short selling illegal?

Key reasons for its prohibition or restriction in some jurisdictions include concerns about market stability and the prevention of market manipulation. Short selling can amplify market downturns, particularly during periods of economic stress, leading to panic selling and destabilizing financial markets.

Which broker allow short selling?

Interactive Brokers is the premier broker among active traders who are looking to sell short.

What is hard to borrow Charles Schwab?

If "*HTB" displays next to the Action field in the Trade Stocks tab, this is the "Hard to Borrow" indicator. Stocks with this indicator may be difficult to borrow for shorting purposes. If the stock you wish to short has this indicator, consider that it may be difficult to fill your order.

How to short sell on TD Ameritrade?

How to short a stock
  1. Apply and qualify for a margin account with your brokerage.
  2. Next, apply and qualify to add short selling to your margin account.
  3. Determine which stock you want to short.
  4. Place your sell order specifying it is a short sell.
  5. Once the order executes, proceeds are deposited in your account.

Can you short sell with Robinhood?

You cannot short on Robinhood, but we're providing alternatives for how to short stocks, including other online brokers that allow shorts like Interactive Brokers and CenterPoint. Robinhood is a popular trading platform that gives the average investor access to professional-level trading tools.

What is the FINRA rule for short selling?

FINRA requires firms to report short interest positions in all customer and proprietary accounts in all equity securities twice a month. All short interest positions must be reported by 6 p.m. Eastern Time on the second business day after the reporting settlement date designated by FINRA.

Which stocks are eligible for short selling?

The securities traded in F&O segment shall be eligible for short selling. SEBI may review the list of stocks that are eligible for short selling transactions from time to time. 8. The institutional investors shall disclose upfront at the time of placement of order whether the transaction is a short sale.

How to short stocks on Vanguard?

Short sales

You must be approved for margin investing to engage in short selling. If the shares of the security that you sold short are no longer available to borrow through Vanguard, your account will be subject to a mandatory “buy in” at current market prices for all or part of your short positions.

How many day trades does Fidelity allow?

Consequences: Traders are allowed 2 day trade liquidations within a rolling 12-month period. However, if you incur a third day trade liquidation, your account will be restricted. Your day trade buying power will be reduced to the amount of the exchange surplus, without the use of time and tick, for 90 calendar days.