Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on IBM (NYSE:IBM).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with IBM, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 12 uncommon options trades for IBM.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 41% bullish and 50%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $302,477, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $282,390.

Predicted Price Range

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $177.5 to $190.0 for IBM over the last 3 months.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in IBM's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to IBM's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $177.5 to $190.0 over the preceding 30 days.

IBM Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Biggest Options Spotted:

About IBM

IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients-which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.

After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding IBM, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.

Present Market Standing of IBM

• With a volume of 505,291, the price of IBM is down -0.36% at $183.5.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 1 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for IBM

1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $200.0.

• In a cautious move, an analyst from Goldman Sachs downgraded its rating to Buy, setting a price target of $200.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for IBM with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.