Seasonal variations may also skew the short-interest figures.

The latest short-interest figure was equal to 1 percent of all shares listed on the Big Board.

The short-interest figures from Nasdaq are made public seven business days after the 15th of each month.

In December, for example, short-interest figures may be skewed by tax-deferral strategies using short sales.

The short-interest figures show the number of shares borrowed and sold short, often in hopes that the price will decline before the investor repurchases the stock.

The latest short-interest figure is equivalent to seven-tenths of 1 percent of the total shares listed on the Big Board.

Many market experts believe that short-interest figures have become less important as a predictive device in recent years.

For years, traders have argued that the short-interest figures released by the exchange simply were not accurate.

The short-interest figures show the number of shares that have been borrowed and sold short, but not yet covered.

There are also seasonal variations that skew the short-interest figures.