Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on American Express (NYSE:AXP).

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 AXP, 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 22 uncommon options trades for American Express.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 40% bullish and 36%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $694,319, and 13 are calls, for a total amount of $452,328.

Expected Price Movements

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $290.0 to $360.0 for American Express over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for American Express's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across American Express's significant trades, within a strike price range of $290.0 to $360.0, over the past month.

American Express Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Significant Options Trades Detected:

About American Express

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

Where Is American Express Standing Right Now?

• Trading volume stands at 495,673, with AXP's price up by 0.92%, positioned at $352.71.
• RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.
• Earnings announcement expected in 94 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for American Express

A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $360.2.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

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 American Express, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.