International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 0.7% – Still a Buy?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)’s stock price rose 0.7% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $227.45 and last traded at $226.43. Approximately 1,031,487 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 3,219,556 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.79.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on IBM shares. UBS Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $227.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $220.73.

International Business Machines Stock Up 1.1 %

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $223.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $211.90. The company has a market capitalization of $208.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.84, a P/E/G ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.06.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $2.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.08 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 10.22% and a return on equity of 40.52%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.20 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is presently 97.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total transaction of $774,720.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,463,928. The trade was a 12.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its stake in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in International Business Machines by 134.3% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at about $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Company 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.