International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Wedbush started coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

NYSE IBM opened at $253.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $234.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $244.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $228.85. International Business Machines has a 1 year low of $162.62 and a 1 year high of $266.45.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 104.21%.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction of $6,715,644.43. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.07% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JBR Co Financial Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. JBR Co Financial Management Inc now owns 6,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,405,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. now owns 3,972 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $873,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in International Business Machines by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,351 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,396,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Callan Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Callan Capital LLC now owns 1,870 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $411,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

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.