# Unable to short a stock even though API reports a stock is easy to borrow and shortable

**URL:** <https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/unable-to-short-a-stock-even-though-api-reports-a-stock-is-easy-to-borrow-and-shortable/6996>\
**Category:** Alpaca Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/unable-to-short-a-stock-even-though-api-reports-a-stock-is-easy-to-borrow-and-shortable/6996 "2021-09-30T18:47:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ShortStack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@ShortStack](https://forum.alpaca.markets/u/ShortStack)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/unable-to-short-a-stock-even-though-api-reports-a-stock-is-easy-to-borrow-and-shortable/6996/1 "2021-09-30T18:47:07Z")

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I am using  
alpacaTradingClient.ListAssetsAsync(new AssetsRequest() { AssetStatus = AssetStatus.Active }) and then filtering based on if it is marked as shortable and easy to borrow. However I received the message today on a stock that it could not be sold short when my app tried to place the trade. The stock was “ALZN”. This is not the first time this has happened, but since it is a reoccurance I thought I would reach out to better understand what is happening. I pull a fresh list of shortable stocks before trying to short also.

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**Author:** ![jeramy\_Kennedy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.alpaca.markets/jeramy_kennedy/32/3455_2.png) [@jeramy\_Kennedy](https://forum.alpaca.markets/u/jeramy_Kennedy)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/unable-to-short-a-stock-even-though-api-reports-a-stock-is-easy-to-borrow-and-shortable/6996/2 "2021-12-20T02:13:06Z")

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how do you get a list of shortable stocks? i trade manually swtiching from robinhood to alpaca to use trading view charts

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**Author:** ![aCanary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.alpaca.markets/acanary/32/6709_2.png) [@aCanary](https://forum.alpaca.markets/u/aCanary)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://forum.alpaca.markets/t/unable-to-short-a-stock-even-though-api-reports-a-stock-is-easy-to-borrow-and-shortable/6996/3 "2024-11-21T16:35:47Z")

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“asset FBND cannot be sold short” when requesting order.I can short many other symbols and tons of free margin.

seconds before get\_asset API returns  
{ ‘asset\_class’: \<AssetClass.US\_EQUITY: ‘us\_equity’\>,  
‘attributes’: [‘fractional\_eh\_enabled’, ‘has\_options’],  
‘easy\_to\_borrow’: True,  
‘exchange’: \<AssetExchange.ARCA: ‘ARCA’\>,  
‘fractionable’: True,  
‘id’: UUID(‘d04b9eb2-1d40-420b-b13a-ace4a6a07bc9’),  
‘maintenance\_margin\_requirement’: 30.0,  
‘marginable’: True,  
‘min\_order\_size’: None,  
‘min\_trade\_increment’: None,  
‘name’: ‘Fidelity Total Bond ETF’,  
‘price\_increment’: None,  
‘shortable’: True,  
‘status’: \<AssetStatus.ACTIVE: ‘active’\>,  
‘symbol’: ‘FBND’,  
‘tradable’: True}