International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 1.5% Higher – What’s Next?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) traded up 1.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $248.49 and last traded at $247.44. 759,236 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 3,888,613 shares. The stock had previously closed at $243.87.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on IBM. StockNews.com downgraded International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. Bank of America upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Wedbush assumed 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 target 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $231.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.00, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $248.04 and its 200 day moving average is $230.76.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. On average, research analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 104.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was 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 directly owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of IBM. JBR Co Financial Management Inc raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. JBR Co Financial Management Inc now owns 6,390 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,405,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 1.0% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $315,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Callan Capital LLC raised its position in 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 acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.