e.l.f. Beauty Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

Shares of the cosmetics company have seen a 20.5% drop in short interest as of late February.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 7:12pm

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e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF), the American cosmetics company known for its affordable and trend-driven makeup and skincare products, has seen a significant decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, the company's short interest totaled 5,348,317 shares, a 20.5% drop from the 6,727,406 shares reported on February 12th. Approximately 9.4% of e.l.f. Beauty's shares are currently sold short.

Why it matters

The decline in short interest suggests that investors are becoming more bullish on e.l.f. Beauty's prospects, potentially indicating improved market sentiment and confidence in the company's performance. This could be a positive sign for the stock's future trajectory as the company continues to expand its direct-to-consumer platform and retail partnerships.

The details

According to the report, the days-to-cover ratio, which measures the number of days it would take to cover all of the company's short positions based on average daily trading volume, is currently 2.7 days. This ratio has decreased from the previous period, further indicating a reduction in short interest.

  • As of February 27th, 2026, e.l.f. Beauty had short interest totaling 5,348,317 shares.
  • On February 12th, 2026, e.l.f. Beauty had short interest totaling 6,727,406 shares.

The players

e.l.f. Beauty

An American cosmetics company known for offering an extensive range of affordable, trend-driven makeup and skincare products. The company maintains a direct-to-consumer platform and engages in widespread retail partnerships.

Royal Bank of Canada

A financial institution that has increased its stake in e.l.f. Beauty by 9.9% during the first quarter of the year, now holding 153,682 shares.

Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC

An investment firm that has lifted its holdings in e.l.f. Beauty by 168.6%, now owning 6,483 shares.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The decline in short interest for e.l.f. Beauty suggests that investors are becoming more optimistic about the company's prospects, potentially signaling improved market sentiment and confidence in the brand's ability to continue its growth trajectory through its direct-to-consumer platform and retail partnerships.