“How Short-Sellers Have Distorted Ryde Group's Share Price"

Ryde Group Limited (NYSE), a promising mobility solutions provider in Southeast Asia, has recently seen its stock price impacted by heightened short-selling activity. While the fundamentals of the company remain solid, the data suggests that aggressive shorting has created a misleading picture of its value, adding volatility and artificial downward pressure to its share price.

As of November 15, 2024, Ryde had 232.67k shares sold short, representing 1.45% of its float of 11.8 million shares. Although the percentage may seem small, Ryde’s low float amplifies the impact of short-selling on price movements.

A smaller float means fewer shares are available for trading, so even a modest short interest can disproportionately sway market sentiment, pushing prices lower than the company’s fundamentals would warrant.

Interestingly, while the short interest decreased significantly from 443.39k shares in the prior month, the presence of short-sellers remains a factor in suppressing the stock’s performance.

The current short ratio of 0.39 suggests that while some short positions are being covered, the lingering activity continues to weigh on investor confidence. This sustained pressure creates a negative feedback loop, where price declines caused by shorting further deter potential buyers, compounding the artificial undervaluation.

Adding to the picture is Ryde’s low institutional ownership, which stands at only 1.06%. Institutions typically provide stability to a stock by holding significant positions and countering speculative trading activity. In Ryde’s case, the limited presence of institutional investors has left the company more vulnerable to short-seller tactics. However, this lack of institutional ownership contrasts sharply with the company’s 34.51% insider ownership, which demonstrates strong internal confidence in Ryde’s long-term growth potential. Such a high percentage of insider holdings suggests that those closest to the company—its executives and key stakeholders—firmly believe in its business model and future prospects.

The effects of this short-selling activity are especially concerning because they appear disconnected from Ryde’s underlying fundamentals. Short-sellers often exploit temporary market conditions or investor uncertainty, which can lead to exaggerated declines in stock prices. For a company like Ryde, whose operational and financial health remains stable, this downward pressure creates a misleading narrative that does not align with its true value. Such distortions make it challenging for the market to accurately price the company, potentially causing long-term investors to overlook its potential.

In conclusion, while Ryde’s stock price has been affected by short-sellers, the company’s strong insider confidence and promising fundamentals suggest that its current valuation may not reflect its true worth. Investors who are willing to look beyond the short-term volatility caused by speculative trading may find an opportunity to capitalise on the eventual rebalancing of the market’s perception of Ryde Group Limited.