Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Verizon Communications ( VZ ) .

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 VZ, 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 Verizon Communications ( VZ ).

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 40% bullish and 60%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $178,966, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $161,123.

Expected Price Movements

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $30.0 to $50.0 for Verizon Communications ( VZ ) over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Verizon Communications's ( VZ ) options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Verizon Communications's ( VZ ) significant trades, within a strike price range of $30.0 to $50.0, over the past month.

Verizon Communications Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Verizon Communications

Wireless services account for about 70% of Verizon Communications' ( VZ ) total service revenue and nearly all of its operating income. The firm serves about 93 million postpaid and 21 million prepaid phone customers (following the acquisition of Tracfone) via its nationwide network, making it the largest US wireless carrier. Fixed-line telecom operations include local networks in the Northeast, which reach about 29 million homes and businesses and serve about 8 million broadband customers. Verizon also provides telecom services nationwide to enterprise customers, often using a mixture of its own and other carriers' networks.

In light of the recent options history for Verizon Communications ( VZ ), it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

Current Position of Verizon Communications

Trading volume stands at 9,887,804, with VZ's price up by 2.06%, positioned at $42.35.

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

Earnings announcement expected in 90 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Verizon Communications

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $48.65.

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.

* An analyst from Citigroup persists with their Buy rating on Verizon Communications ( VZ ), maintaining a target price of $49.

* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from UBS continues to hold a Neutral rating for Verizon Communications ( VZ ), targeting a price of $44.

* An analyst from Raymond James has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Verizon Communications ( VZ ), which currently sits at a price target of $48.

* An analyst from Scotiabank persists with their Sector Perform rating on Verizon Communications ( VZ ), maintaining a target price of $47.

* An analyst from Tigress Financial has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Verizon Communications ( VZ ), which currently sits at a price target of $55.

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 Verizon Communications ( VZ ), Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.