NEW YORK,, May 6 (Reuters) - Short interest on the New York
Stock Exchange edged up just 0.02 percent, the exchange said on
Tuesday, suggesting bearish sentiment in the stock market was
essentially flat in late April.

The following stocks saw increased interest from short
sellers, who bet that a certain stock's price will fall. The
data reflect short trades with a settlement date of April 30.

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NATIONAL CITY CORP NCC.N

Short interest rose more than 67 percent in shares of the
large U.S. Midwest bank.

The company raised $7 billion in capital and slashed its
dividend after mortgage and home equity problems led to its third
straight quarterly loss last month.

About 100.3 million of the company's shares were held short,
or more than 15 percent of its total shares outstanding.

AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP (ABK.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

Short interest rose more than 53 percent in shares of the bond
insurer.

The company said last month that its shareholders' equity, an
accounting measure of net worth, shrank 40 percent in the first
quarter as it wrote down the values of bad assets linked to
subprime mortgages.

About 48.1 million of the company's shares were held short, or
nearly 17 percent of its total shares outstanding.

AIRTRAN HOLDINGS INC (AAI.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

DELTA AIR LINES INC (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO (LUV.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

Short interest jumped in shares of airline companies as the
companies struggled with soaring fuel prices and worries about a
weaker U.S. economy -- problems which have forced several small
airlines into bankruptcy protection and prompted others to merge.

Short interest was up more than 38 percent in AirTran, up
almost 29 percent in Delta and up over 14 percent in shares of
Southwest.

About 24.6 million AirTran shares, 24.9 million Delta shares
and 34.9 million Southwest shares were held short, representing
about 26.6 percent, 8.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of
each company's total shares outstanding.

CIT GROUP INC CIT.N

Short interest rose nearly 32 percent in shares of the
commercial finance company.

Like many other finance companies that cannot borrow from the
Federal Reserve, CIT has been scrambling to raise cash in recent
months as it struggles with the global credit crisis.

About 32.2 million of the company's shares were held short, or
about 17 percent of its total shares outstanding.

SPRINT NEXTEL CORP (S.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

Short interest rose more than 20 percent in shares of the
mobile phone company.

Investors have been worried that a weaker economy is forcing
U.S. consumers to find new ways to lower their phone bills, which
could hurt the struggling No. 3 U.S. mobile service. The company
also said last month that several U.S. cable companies had pulled
out of a wireless joint venture with Sprint.

About 97.3 million of the company's shares were held short, or
about 3 percent of its total shares outstanding.

(Reporting by Emily Chasan, editing by Phil Berlowitz)