Short Selling Hard-to-Borrow Stocks: Locates Come to LamaTrader
Shorting an easy-to-borrow stock is simple: place the sell order. Shorting a hard-to-borrow one has always been the opposite: opaque availability, surprise fees, and rejected orders. LamaTrader now handles the whole locate workflow in the platform, so shorting hard-to-borrow names is a clear, guided process instead of a guessing game.
Borrow Status, Visible Everywhere
Every US equity now carries its borrow status across the platform: ETB (easy to borrow) or HTB (hard to borrow) badges appear in the assets table, on asset profiles, and in the trade form. Before you even think about a short, you know which kind of trade you are looking at.
- Easy to borrow: short it directly. No locate, no locate fees. The trade form confirms it.
- Hard to borrow: an approved locate is required before the short can fill. LamaTrader walks you through getting one.
The Trade Form Does the Math
Set up a sell order that would take your position short in a hard-to-borrow name, and the trade form tells you immediately: this order needs a locate, and here is exactly how many shares still need one. It accounts for locates you already hold, so if you are covered, you see a green "locate in place" confirmation instead of a warning.
From the warning, one click opens the locate request. No hunting through menus mid-trade.
Know the Cost Before You Commit
The locate request form shows you live availability and the quoted fee per share for the symbol before you submit anything. You stay in control of the terms:
- Request in 100-share lots, sized automatically from your order's shortfall
- All or none: only fill the locate if the full quantity is available
- Max fee per share: cap what you are willing to pay
Locate fees are charged upfront and are non-refundable, and the form says so plainly. If a symbol turns out to be easy to borrow, or is unavailable due to a corporate action or threshold listing, you find out before spending anything.
A Dedicated Locates Page
The new Locates page tracks every locate you have requested: active, expired, or rejected. Filter by status, search by symbol, and see the requested quantity, located quantity, and fee for each. Locates slot into the main navigation next to Orders and Activities, because for short sellers they are part of the daily workflow.
Getting Started
Locate support depends on your broker account configuration. If your account has it, there is nothing to enable: borrow status badges are already showing, and the trade form will guide you the first time a short needs a locate. For the wider equities feature set, see Stock Trading.
Short selling involves significant risk, including the possibility of losses greater than your initial investment, and borrow fees accrue while a short position is open. Make sure you understand these risks before trading.