Hedge funds have seen their short bets shrink by billions of dollars even as the bearish strategy posts bumper profits -- the latest twist in the tale of the stock rout that’s wiped out over $2 trillion in two weeks. As economic and monetary angst lash U.S. markets into submission, short interest in cash equities as a percentage of market cap has tumbled to near the lowest since 2010, according to Deutsche Bank AG. The investing style is often the lifeblood of fast money, and fund managers riding the sell-off this way are enjoying banner returns.