Because IB doesn't want you to be Syed Shah Number 2, a newbie Canadian crude oil trader who traded using IB. "It's a $113 million mistake on our part," said Thomas Peterffy Chairman of IB. In those days, Crude oil downforce momentum was very strong. RGC upforce momentum is weakening & the volume is around zero.
No it does not say: "This contract will be available for short sale if the shares can be located". It says what I wrote. That is why I wrote it.
I can see that if you use IBKR's SLB rates tool, your message is displayed. If you try to send a sell order, my posted message is displayed. The reason I believe IBKR has shut down shorting is that when you send a sell order for stocks where IBKR do not have shares to borrow, you receive a different message than the one I have displayed.
Dude IB hasn't "shut down" shorting of RGC. I'm sure they will be happy to let you short it if they can find the shares to loan you.
Dude they do block shorting specific stocks from time to time if they perceive the risk is too high - in this case a stock that has 200 fold increased over a short period of time.
IB against the apes again. They didn't learn with GME. Some at wallstreetbets must be celebrating. https://nikkojackson.substack.com/p/rgc-stock-explodes-3400-is-this-the It went down almost 20% because of the block, free market they call it.