Shares of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp ( LMT ) fell in early Monday trading, a notable reversal from the defense sector's Friday rally.

What To Know: The stock saw upward momentum late last week as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East drove speculation about increased demand for military hardware.

Investors anticipated that major contractors like Lockheed would benefit from increased government spending as nations bolster their defense capabilities in a more volatile global landscape.

The stock's rally on Friday was part of a broad surge across the entire defense sector. The momentum followed reports of significant Israeli airstrikes against Iran, which sharply escalated geopolitical tensions and stoked fears of a wider regional conflict, increasing investor expectations for new defense contracts.

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The stock's performance early Monday reflects a complex investor landscape, weighing sector-specific catalysts against wider market jitters and potential profit-taking after Friday's gains.

Price Action: According to data from Benzinga Pro, Lockheed Martin's ( LMT ) stock was trading at $470.75 Monday morning, a decrease of $10.22, or 3.23% for the session. LMT’s current price movement is situated within the stock’s 52-week range of $418.88 to $618.95.

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How To Buy LMT Stock

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.

In the case of Lockheed Martin ( LMT ), which is trading at $470.75 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 0.21 shares of stock.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

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