International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Shares Bought by Bard Financial Services Inc.

Bard Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 0.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 30,710 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $5,023,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC increased its position in International Business Machines by 220,760.0% during the 3rd quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 44,172 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,197,000 after purchasing an additional 44,152 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 10.5% in the 3rd quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 19,307 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,829 shares during the period. Girard Partners LTD. purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $205,000. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd now owns 193,249 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $27,113,000 after acquiring an additional 28,592 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Ion Advisors LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,418,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

IBM traded up $0.98 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $170.01. 2,724,835 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,786,294. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $181.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $173.39. International Business Machines Co. has a 12 month low of $125.01 and a 12 month high of $199.18. The stock has a market cap of $156.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The technology company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.21% and a net margin of 13.18%. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.53 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.36 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 9.91 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This is a positive change from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.66. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.93%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 75.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IBM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stifel Nicolaus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com cut International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $181.29.

About International Business Machines

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.