NYSE short interest rises in early February

NEW YORK Feb 25 (Reuters) - Short interest on the New York Stock Exchange rose 2.8 percent in the first half of February, data released by the exchange showed on Friday.

Through Feb. 15, short interest rose to 12.8 billion shares, compared with 12.4 billion shares as of late January.

Investors who sell securities short seek to profit from a decline in stock prices. Short-sellers borrow shares and then sell them in hope of buying them back at a cheaper price, pocketing the difference. (Reporting by Rodrigo Campos)