Short sellers who have targeted U.S. companies have seen a significant increase in gains of around $127 billion since April 2 due to President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs, leading to a sharp decline in stock prices. Ortex Technologies, a data and analytics company, revealed that these gains for U.S. companies with a market capitalization of $1 billion or more amount to $189 billion up to Monday. Short sellers make profits by selling borrowed shares and repurchasing them at a lower price later on. The S&P 500 index saw a substantial $5 trillion decrease in market value following Trump's tariff plans. Short interest across various global stock indexes rose rapidly from March 31, peaking on April 4 before beginning to decline. A decrease in short interest suggests that investors are becoming less bearish and engaging in profit-taking activities. Ortex cofounder Peter Hillerberg noted that some short sellers appear to be securing their gains. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index experienced a 2.8% increase in late morning trading.