Saratoga Research & Investment Management Sells 230 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Saratoga Research & Investment Management trimmed its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 7.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,738 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 230 shares during the quarter. Saratoga Research & Investment Management’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $602,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on IBM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted 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. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wedbush assumed coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

Insider Activity

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of IBM opened at $243.83 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.10 billion, a PE ratio of 38.04, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company’s 50-day moving average is $249.51 and its 200-day moving average is $231.62. International Business Machines Co. has a fifty-two week low of $162.62 and a fifty-two week high of $266.45.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Equities analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

International Business Machines Profile

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.