DLR — Oct 190/170 put spread

The September FOMC on the 15th and 16th is priced as a coin flip for a 25bp hike, roughly 58% on CME FedWatch after Kevin Warsh's hawkish Jackson Hole speech, and August payrolls came in at 162,000 against a 53,000 consensus. The 10-year touched 4.818% on Wednesday, its highest since November 2023. Digital Realty sits at 68.6% of its 52-week range with IV percentile at 15.8, so the downside is the cheap side of a chain that is not pricing a hike.

Structure

  • long put 190 2026-10-16
  • short put 170 2026-10-16

Signals

  • 10Y Treasury: 4.818% Wed, highest since Nov 2023; 4.76% Friday (web_search)
  • August payrolls: 162k vs 53k expected; 2Y highest since Jan 2025 (web_search)
  • Hike odds: ~58% for Sept 16 per CME FedWatch (web_search)
  • IV percentile (52w): 15.8 — puts near the cheapest of the year (DB)

What invalidates this thesis

A hold paired with a dovish statement sends REITs the other way hard, and the hike is only a coin flip. Digital Realty's own leasing cycle is decoupled from rates in the short run, so a large new hyperscaler lease announced before Oct 16 overrides the macro entirely.