Most and least shorted large-cap consumer staples at March end

[Walmart truck driving on the freeway]
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The stocks with the highest short interest come from a broad mix within the consumer staples sector, with no single industry standing out or dominating the list in terms of positioning, according to March-end figures.

Among the most shorted stocks, Brown-Forman (BF.B [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BF.B]) leads with 16.67% of shares outstanding sold short, signaling elevated skepticism around demand trends in premium alcohol.

In contrast, the least shorted names reflect strong investor confidence and perceived stability. These least shorted, famous names remain among the most defensively positioned.

HERE ARE THE FIVE MOST SHORTED INDUSTRIAL STOCKS WITH MARKET CAPITALIZATIONS ABOVE $2B (AS A PERCENTAGE OF SHARES OUTSTANDING)

* Brown-Forman (BF.B [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BF.B]), Short interest: 16.67%
* The Campbell's Company (CPB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CPB]), Short interest: 13.34%
* The Boston Beer Company (SAM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SAM]),Short interest: 11.90%
* Kimberly-Clark (KMB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KMB]), Short interest: 11.65%
* Sprouts Farmers Market (SPB [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SPB]), Short interest: 11.62%

HERE ARE THE FIVE LEAST SHORTED INDUSTRIAL STOCKS WITH MARKET CAPITALIZATIONS ABOVE $2B (AS A PERCENTAGE OF SHARES OUTSTANDING)

* Smithfield Foods (SFD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SFD]), Short interest: 0.85%
* Adecoagro (AGRO [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/AGRO]), Short interest: 0.90%
* Walmart (WMT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/WMT]), Short interest: 0.95%
* The Procter & Gamble (PG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PG]), Short interest: 0.99%
* Philip Morris (PM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PM]), Short interest: 1.05%

ETFs linked to consumer staples: (VDC [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/VDC]), (XLP [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/XLP]), (IYK [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/IYK]), (FXG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/FXG]), (PBJ [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/PBJ]), (FTXG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/FTXG]), (KXI [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/KXI]).

MORE ON CONSUMER STAPLES

* Gen Z Is Threatening The Alcohol Industry [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4879029-gen-z-is-threatening-the-alcohol-industry]
* Consumer Staples Positioned For A Better-Than-Expected 2026 [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4876468-consumer-staples-positioned-for-a-better-than-expected-2026]
* Wall Street Lunch: Staples Overtake Mag 7 Ex-Tesla On Forward Valuation [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4875574-wall-street-lunch-staples-overtake-mag-7-ex-tesla-on-forward-valuation]
* Consumer staples win on defensive bets in Q1; Bunge, ADM lead gains [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4571080-consumer-staples-win-on-defensive-bets-in-q1-bunge-adm-lead-gains]
* S&P 500 logs weakest Q1 performance since 2022 - here’s what drove the moves [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4571038-sp-500-logs-weakest-q1-performance-since-2022---heres-what-drove-the-moves]