Stock Market Today, April 2: Nokia Rises on Surge in Bullish Options Activity

Nokia (NYSE:NOK), provider of global network solutions, closed Thursday at $8.82, up 6.65%. The stock moved higher as traders increased bullish options activity in the regular session.

The company’s trading volume reached 88.7 million shares, which is about 91% above compared with its three-month average of 46.5 million shares. Nokia went public in 1994 and has grown 569% since its IPO.

How the markets moved today

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) inched up 0.09% to finish Thursday at 6,582.69, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) added 0.18% to close at 21,879.18. In telecommunications equipment, industry peers Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC) closed at $11.62, up 2.98%, and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) ended at $79.02, rising 1.95% as investors weighed 5G and networking demand.

What this means for investors

Nokia shares rose as call option volume jumped to more than 58,000 contracts, about 27% above typical levels, pointing to a clear pickup in bullish positioning during the session. This surge reflects strong short-term interest, though options activity alone does not affect the company’s fundamentals.

This momentum coincides with Nokia’s ongoing restructuring, which involves cutting approximately 4,000 jobs to improve margins and expanding optical networking through the Infinera acquisition to meet growing AI and 5G data traffic. While these actions have renewed investor interest, the main question is whether they will lead to increased orders from telecom operators. Investors will be watching upcoming results for signs that demand for optical equipment linked to AI data traffic and new 5G contract wins is driving higher network sales, rather than being offset by restructuring and cost pressures.

Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Cisco Systems. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.