Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Altria Group ( MO ) .

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the positions 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 MO, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for Altria Group ( MO ).

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 37% bullish and 50%, bearish.

Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $63,720, and 7, calls, for a total amount of $856,527.

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 $40.0 to $54.0 for Altria Group ( MO ) over the last 3 months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Altria Group ( MO ) stands at 1980.25, with a total volume reaching 2,437.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Altria Group ( MO ), situated within the strike price corridor from $40.0 to $54.0, throughout the last 30 days.

Altria Group Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Altria Group

Altria ( MO ) comprises Philip Morris USA, us Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Horizon Innovations, and Helix Innovations. Through its tobacco subsidiaries, Altria ( MO ) maintains the leading position in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the United States and the number-two spot in machine-made cigars. The company's Marlboro brand is the leading cigarette brand in the us with 42% annual share in 2023. Beyond its core business, it holds an 8% interest in the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, a 42% stake in cannabis manufacturer Cronos, acquired Njoy Holdings in 2023, and operates a joint venture with Japan Tobacco in the heated tobacco category. It also recently disposed of its investment in Juul Labs.

Where Is Altria Group Standing Right Now?

Trading volume stands at 1,077,221, with MO's price down by 0.0%, positioned at $51.94.

RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.

Earnings announcement expected in 38 days.

Expert Opinions on Altria Group

Over the past month, 3 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $47.666666666666664.

Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Barclays keeps a Underweight rating on Altria Group ( MO ) with a target price of $45.

An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Neutral rating on Altria Group ( MO ), maintaining a target price of $57.

Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from UBS keeps a Sell rating on Altria Group ( MO ) with a target price of $41.

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.

If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Altria Group ( MO ), Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.