Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Qualcomm ( QCOM ) .

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 QCOM, 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 49 uncommon options trades for Qualcomm ( QCOM ).

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 26% bullish and 65%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 38 are puts, for a total amount of $4,232,650, and 11 are calls, for a total amount of $544,412.

Projected Price Targets

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $115.0 to $280.0 for Qualcomm ( QCOM ) over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Qualcomm ( QCOM ) options trades today is 1739.69 with a total volume of 18,730.00.

In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Qualcomm's ( QCOM ) big money trades within a strike price range of $115.0 to $280.0 over the last 30 days.

Qualcomm Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm ( QCOM ) develops and licenses wireless technology and designs chips for smartphones. The company's key patents revolve around CDMA and OFDMA technologies, which are standards in wireless communications that are the backbone of all 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Qualcomm's ( QCOM ) IP is licensed by virtually all wireless device makers. The firm is also the world's largest wireless chip vendor, supplying nearly every premier handset maker with leading-edge processors. Qualcomm ( QCOM ) also sells RF-front end modules into smartphones, as well as chips into automotive and Internet of Things markets.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Qualcomm ( QCOM ), we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Present Market Standing of Qualcomm

With a volume of 2,167,982, the price of QCOM is up 0.46% at $169.48.

RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.

Next earnings are expected to be released in 42 days.

Expert Opinions on Qualcomm

In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $210.0.

An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Overweight rating on Qualcomm ( QCOM ), maintaining a target price of $210.

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 Qualcomm ( QCOM ) with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.