You can ask your broker to not lend your stock.  However Majority of the stock is held by institution and they have figured out long time ago that there is more money in trading then holding a stock.  If Institutions locked up there float there would be very little left resulting in large swings in stock that is not good for anyone.  The key is to take profits in small increments.  As they they you will be better off with lot more singles then a grand slam.

    Thanks for taking the time to respond xxnilesshxx but.....

    Posted by RichieD on 16th of Dec 2014 at 09:41 am

    say your answer makes no sense to me. 

    If an institution lends out stock it owns and charges interest at say 7-10% until the stock is returned, how does that benefit the owner of those shares if the stock is then driven down 20-30%; they would be a net loser.  Unless, of course, I'm underestimating the fee paid to "borrow the stock"...in which case, if larger, the transaction would be prohibitive to the individual wanting to go short.

    As I said, this just doesn't make sense to me.  Those "lending out" stock are betting against their own interests as best I can see. 

    In all the years I've asked this question, NO ONE has provided a plausible explanation.  With so many owning stock, it's incredible there isn't more of a ground swell of demand that owners be allowed to remove their shares from the "lending" market.

    Wouldn't markets be more efficient if one could only buy (without margin) and sell stock they actually have in their possession?

    For most brokers, Unless you

    Posted by jdaswani on 16th of Dec 2014 at 08:47 am

    For most brokers, Unless you account exceeds $500k to $1M. They will not honor your requests on stock lending.

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