REUTERS/Pierre AlbouyMILAN/LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) - Short-sellers who bet against European banks are set to lose a substantial amount of money in April after the sector bounced back from the shock downfall of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) in anticipation of strong quarterly earnings. The STOXX European banks share index (.SX7P) has risen as much as 18% from late March's lows. But a Bank of America survey showed fund managers cut bank exposure in April to the lowest since May 2020, as they piled into more recession-proof defensive sectors. Ortex estimates short interest on European banks is close to 1% of the free share float, an 11-month high. One area of concern is exposure to commercial real estate and investors will be alert to any sign of emerging stress as European lenders report earnings next week.

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