For those questioning whether they are true short sales or not, The SEC required all SRO's (Self Regulatory Organizations) to publish on their websites daily short sale volume.
This sure makes the FINRA numbers seem definitive to me.
Client Newsflash Short Sales: SEC Adopts Final Rule 204, Allows Rule 10a-3T (Form SH) to Expire and Announces Other Short Sale Initiatives July 28, 2009
"In its press release regarding Rule 204, the SEC also indicated that it will not renew temporary Rule 10a-3T (Form SH), which is set to expire on August 1, 2009. Under this temporary rule, which has been in effect since September 2008, institutional investment managers have been required to report their short positions. In lieu of renewing temporary Rule 10a-3T, the SEC announced a joint effort with self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”) aimed at increasing public availability of short sale data by providing short sale volume and transaction data on SRO websites. Details regarding the program have not yet been announced, although it appears that the intent is not to publicly identify individual short sellers or position holders."
SROs and SEC to Publish Short Sale Data
In connection with the expiration of temporary Rule 10a-3T, the SEC announced that it is working with SROs to make more short sale volume and transaction data publicly available. According to the SEC, in the next few weeks SROs will begin publishing on their websites aggregate daily short selling volume in individual equity securities and one-month-delayed information regarding individual short sale transactions in exchange-listed equity securities. The SEC will also begin reporting on its website twice monthly fail to deliver data for all equity securities.
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