Betting Against Coal: Why Short Sellers Keep Losing Money on a Sector They Were Sure Was Dead
Few trades have looked more intellectually compelling — and produced more financial pain — than the persistent short position against U.S. coal equities. Year after year, institutional short sellers have loaded up on bearish bets against companies they assumed were in terminal decline, only to watch those positions unravel as coal stocks posted returns that embarrassed far more fashionable corners of the market. This article examines the mechanics behind that recurring miscalculation and what it