Alibaba, Ford rise as U.S.-China talks lift China trade sentiment

Alibaba Group (BABA) rose 8% on May 13, 2026, despite weaker-than-expected earnings metrics, as Chinese ADRs rallied ahead of talks in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. business leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) gained 2.5%. Options activity showed bullish positioning. ThinkOrSwim data showed Alibaba call volume at roughly five times put volume, with more than 75,000 calls bought versus fewer than 12,000 puts. SpotGamma said calls accounted for 88% of $160 million in options premium traded by midday. KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) ranked among the most active options securities for much of the session, with more than 750,000 contracts traded. Ford (F) rose 13% after Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco said its licensing agreement with China’s CATL could support its energy storage business. Ford has committed $2 billion to the battery storage segment, targeting first customer deliveries by late 2027 and annual output of at least 20 gigawatt-hours.