Billions Go Missing as Hedge Funds Forgo Winning Big Short

  • Most popular short-stock bets post biggest drop in three years
  • Fewer funds willing to take high-conviction bearish wagers
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Hedge funds have seen their short bets shrink by billions of dollars even as the bearish strategy posts bumper profits -- the latest twist in the tale of the stock rout that’s wiped out over $2 trillion in two weeks.

As economic and monetary angst lash U.S. markets into submission, short interest in cash equities as a percentage of market cap has tumbled to near the lowest since 2010, according to Deutsche Bank AG.