What is short selling?

Short selling is when investors sell stocks they do not own. Short sellers believe the price of the stock will fall or are seeking to hedge against potential price volatility in securities that they own. If the price of the stock drops, short sellers buy the stock at a lower price and make a profit. If the price of the stock rises, short sellers will incur a loss.

Short selling is used for many purposes, including to profit from an expected downward price movement, to provide liquidity in response to unanticipated buyer demand, or to hedge the risk of a long position in the same security or a related security.