Hi PopjulieIts simple, shorting is borrowing someone elses...

Hi Popjulie

Its simple, shorting is borrowing someone elses shares and selling them on the market. To make a profit the share price needs to fall. Once the shorter has made enough money they buy back shares from the market and return the shares to the onwer of those shares.

But if the share price goes up they make a loss becasue they eventually have to buy back the shares and return them to the rightful owner, in which case they get what we call burnt, which is good because no one likes shorters.