Stocks are firmly lower at midday, retreating from last week’s gains, though the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) managed to eke out a record high this morning before pulling back. The tech sector is taking a breather from its recent run, with Nvidia (NVDA) dipping after news of its Chinese regulatory investigation. Bitcoin (BTC) is also lower, cooling from its recent run above $100,000. Meanwhile, wholesale inventories rebounded in October with a slight 0.2% gain, in line with Wall Street’s estimates. 
Options bulls are targeting Las Vegas Sands Corp (NYSE: LVS), as the stock rises to a fresh annual high. So far, 35,000 calls have been exchanged compared to just 4,208 puts, or 4 times the average daily options volume. The December 60 call is the most popular, where new positions are being opened. LVS was last seen up 4% at $56.12 as the entire casino sector enjoys impressive gains. China-based Bilibili Inc (Nasdaq: BILI) is surging today, up 20.8% at $23.05 at last glance, after the company announced a repurchase of over 311,000 shares and changes in its issued shares. Beijing’s latest stimulus pledge is also giving stocks a boost. Gapping above recent pressure at the $20 level, BILI is up 90.1% in 2024. Elsewhere, Applovin Corp (Nasdaq: APP) is down 14.6% at $342.79, after it was left out of the latest S&P 500 rebalancing. Falling sharply from Friday’s record highs, the shares are still up 162% in this quarter alone. 
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