Quote from empee:
markets dont fall with high short interest. Market exact maximum damange to maximum participants. Thus, since everyone KNOWS there is a big short interest, and short position has a negative bias (having to pay out dividends), and there are no long-term shorts (ie cause it has a losing bias), then all longs have to do is hold the market from going down and the short squeeze themselves taking the market higher.
Markets can't fall on huge short interest for the alternate reason that on every pullback some will start to cover thus propping the market.
The fact that the short interest has been growing yet the market has been going sideways is a bullish inidicator. I would say the most likely scenario is a short squeeze higher, failed uptrend attempt and then we sell off thus penalizing both longs + shorts.
Reality doesn't matter. The bets do. Wtih all this bearish behavior and monster short interest, the shorts are essentially trapped, any of this news getting better (like a retracement of oil) will start a huge rally (however we dont know if its sustainable).
Mainly remember that there ar elongs that stay long for 20 years at a time, there are no shorts that do this, thats why shorts have the time element against them. (Long side traders have the buy and hold crowd on their side).
good luck.