International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 0.4% After Dividend Announcement

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) rose 0.4% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as $225.07 and last traded at $225.10. Approximately 700,976 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 3,461,317 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.13.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 97.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the subject of several recent research reports. DZ Bank lowered International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $215.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $205.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $225.53.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The company has a market capitalization of $238.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.59, a PEG ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $225.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $213.55.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.52% and a net margin of 10.22%. Equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,463,928. This represents a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in International Business Machines by 134.3% in the 4th 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. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.