Today's Scoop:

Hey friends - hope your week is off to a good start! Don’t miss our lastest Weekly Scoop or this weekend’s Explained from our guest LGBTQ rights advocate on waning corporate support.

Here’s what you need to know today…

1. Stock traders are gaining optimism.

2. The commercial real estate market isn’t dead.

3. Chinese consumers are still spending.

S&P 500: 4,328.82
1Mo: +3% | 1Yr: +11% | 5Yr: +59%

The market drifted lower today, unphased by the weekend rebellion in Russia.

Investors are starting to gain optimism. A report from the Wall Street Journal highlighted that trading activity for call options [🤓] on technology stocks and the broader stock market have surged this past month. The volume of trades for optimistic bets on computer chip stocks has doubled since the start of the year, and bets on the S&P 500 Index rising further reached a new record number of daily transactions.

Office real estate isn't dead. With the shift in remote work, investors have been very concerned about the future of commercial real estate but gained a little more confidence after seeing a big transaction this week. One of the largest real estate investment companies, SL Green, sold half of a massive New York office building at 245 Park at a $2B valuation to a Japanese investment firm.

Chinese consumers are still spending, despite broad concerns about a sluggish comeback from the second-largest economy. The three-day Dragon Boat Festival last week spurred a 44% surge in tourism versus last year, according to Chinese officials. China has been taking measures to stimulate its economy after recently lifting covid restrictions.

Click to dig in & vote your reaction, see how others feel

• Starbucks employees wage walkouts across the country over LGBTQ+ policies

• Eli Lilly’s weight-loss pill cuts 15% body weight in 36 weeks

• Boeing and supplier Spirit battle through worker strikes

• Warner Bros Discovery tries to sell half its music to pay debts

• Ford cuts more workers to streamline electric vehicle development

(These links only work for 24 hours while the story is live)

Call Options

A call option is like a coupon for buying a stock. It gives you the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a specific stock at a set price (strike price) within a certain time. If the stock price goes up, you can use the option to buy it at the lower strike price and make a profit. If it doesn't, you can let the option expire and avoid losing money. You only lose the cost of buying the option, aka the premium.

Investors buy call options to bet on companies, industries, or markets that they think will go up in value. It allows investors to benefit from the potential upside without actually having to own the stock and risk it depreciating.

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