I cannot answer your last sentence, but admittedly dated (c.4...

I cannot answer your last sentence, but admittedly dated (c.4 trading days ago) shorting data suggests LAU isn't a 'victim' .

There may be many SH who acquired scrip at say A$0.38 and have sold on the basis of 'this is as good as it gets'. They may have previous losses on other stocks they can use to reduce or eliminate CGT. Who doesn't like to come close to tripling their investment within two or three years if one includes dividends as well as capital growth?

For some PAYE taxpayers who have incurred a tax bill for FY 23, the payment date can be soon. I know some who have to pay on 21 November. While probably a relatively minor consideration, the low income tax offset or whatever it was called was abolished by the Federal Labor government so that has apparently meant more Australians have a tax bill rather than a refund.

It's some time since the two largest SH (who've been reducing their stakes) filed a notice with the ASX. They may still be selling.

I recently topped up. Maybe I'm wrong, but despite the arguably deteriorating state of Australia's economy, the management of LAU gives me hope it'll grow revenue and NPAT over time, even though the subsector is highly competitive.