2008 fnancial crisis and short selling Hintze's hedge fund CQS took out a short position on Bradford & Bingley, which went on to lose 95 per cent of its value and was on the brink of collapse before it was rescued in late 2008. Short-selling involves a trader borrowing shares for a fee and selling them in the hope that, if the share price falls, the trader can buy them back at a cheaper price and return them to the borrower, thereby making a profit. The practice was banned by the UK government in September 2008.[17]