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

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 LMT, 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 10 uncommon options trades for Lockheed Martin.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 40%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $89,950, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $409,385.

What's The Price Target?

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $400.0 to $655.0 for Lockheed Martin 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 Lockheed Martin's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Lockheed Martin's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $400.0 to $655.0 over the preceding 30 days.

Lockheed Martin 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defense contractor and has dominated the Western market for high-end fighter aircraft since it won the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 2001. Lockheed's largest segment is aeronautics, which derives upward of two-thirds of its revenue from the F-35. Lockheed's remaining segments are rotary and mission systems, mainly encompassing the Sikorsky helicopter business; missiles and fire control, which creates missiles and missile defense systems; and space systems, which produces satellites and receives equity income from the United Launch Alliance joint venture.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Lockheed Martin, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Where Is Lockheed Martin Standing Right Now?

• With a volume of 440,199, the price of LMT is down -0.03% at $605.67.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 20 days.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.

Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.