Core Viewpoint - Despite a strong rebound in the U.S. stock market following a 25% decline earlier this year, short positions in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices continue to rise, indicating that investors may be employing a contrarian strategy to hedge risks or express doubts about the sustainability of the recovery [1] Group 1: Short Position Trends - According to S3 Partners, the short position in the S&P 500 has increased from 5.4% at the beginning of the year to 5.8% [1] - The short position in the Nasdaq 100 has expanded from less than 5.2% to approximately 6.1% [1] Group 2: Market Performance Comparison - The S&P 500 index has seen a year-to-date increase of only 6%, which is significantly lower than the average gains of 15%-20% in major global markets [1] - S3 Partners highlights that only a few major global indices have underperformed the S&P 500, contributing to its lagging growth compared to the global average [1]