That's kinda splittin hairs. You are right but investing doesn't stimulate business near as much and cash transaction on the retail market.Investing probably stimulates the economy exponentially and a lot more than one might think. Depending on the investment, an investor is indirectly loaning money to fund business by loans or stock purchase, personal loans to buy stuff or mortgages, etc. Even if you just put the money in a bank account it just doesn't sit there and rot. Investing is a big driver of economic transactions and activity.