Short Bets on Oak Valley Bancorp Surge 42% in March

The California-based bank saw a significant increase in short interest last month.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 9:50pm

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Oak Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ: OVLY), a California-based commercial bank, experienced a 41.8% increase in short interest during March. As of March 13th, there were 48,163 shares sold short, up from 33,962 shares at the end of February. This represents approximately 0.7% of the company's total shares outstanding.

Why it matters

The rise in short interest suggests that some investors are betting against Oak Valley Bancorp's stock performance in the near term. Short selling activity can provide insights into market sentiment and potential volatility for a company's shares.

The details

The days-to-cover ratio, which measures the number of days it would take short sellers to cover their positions based on average daily trading volume, increased to 2.4 days as of March 13th, up from 1.7 days at the end of February. This indicates that it would take short sellers slightly longer to cover their positions compared to the prior period.

  • As of March 13th, 2026, there were 48,163 shares of Oak Valley Bancorp sold short.
  • On February 26th, 2026, there were 33,962 shares of Oak Valley Bancorp sold short.

The players

Oak Valley Bancorp

A California-based commercial bank that offers a full suite of banking services to individuals, businesses, agricultural enterprises, and nonprofit organizations.

Weiss Ratings

A financial research firm that provides ratings and analysis on various financial products, including stocks.

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The takeaway

The increase in short interest on Oak Valley Bancorp's stock suggests that some investors are anticipating potential downside for the company's shares in the near future. However, the overall consensus rating from analysts remains positive, with one firm maintaining a "buy" recommendation on the stock.