I have heard of some problems with thinner stocks, but in the year and a half I have been trading with them, I have never been unable to short a liquid stock. If QQQ and big cap stocks aren't available, this is something new and strange I think. (I haven't tried to put on any shorts since this thread started, so I don't know first hand).
Just rec'd some info from the treasury group.... A change was put in to improve availability on most of the big names. This should fix the QQQ shortage. For some of the other names there are some solutions in the work but they require programming. (the system is automated thus finding hard to borrows or stocks not supplied on lists from the 1/2 dozen lenders isn't a simple implementation).
What a garbage firm! I was actually looking in to having one of my accounts, but not being able to short qqq, klac, etc ---- are you kidding me? Absolute garbage!!! They should be ashamed.
Both are available now. Read above, steps were taken to increase the inventory. If rectifying an issue is garbage, so be it.
Calm down now Jonny. No need to get excited. IB is surely not a garbage firm. They are bigtime believe it or not. QQQ, QLGC, NVLS, KLAC, and many others were available to short today. I should know. I shorted them. IB has only had one day which was yesterday in all of the days I have been with them where they had a FEW stocks that you couldn't short. It seems like it is taken care of now. No big deal...
Single Stock Futures (SSF) NQLX and One Chicago both plan to launch their exchanges on 11/8/02. IB will offer all single stock futures listed on these exchanges on this date. SSF characteristics include lower margin requirements than stocks and no short sale rules. An SSF is a standardized transferable, exchange-traded contract that requires delivery of a stock, at a specific price, on a specified future date. In addition, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 which grants approval for the offering of SSFs, also allows the offering of futures on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Narrowed Based Stock Indices. Prior to passage of this act only Broad Based Stock Indices such as the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices were allowed. NQLX plans to offer around 50 SSFs and Futures on ETFs. One Chicago plans on offering over 80 SSFs and narrowed based indices. SSFs that are dually listed on both exchanges are not fungible, thus, contracts opened on an exchange must be closed on that exchange. www.nqlx.com www.onechicago.com www.interactivebrokers.com/html/retailAccount/single_stock.html www.interactivebrokers.com/html/companyInfo/ib_communique11-01.html