Bell Bank Boosts Stock Position in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Bell Bank boosted its position in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 8.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,365 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,182 shares during the quarter. International Business Machines makes up 0.8% of Bell Bank's portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Bell Bank's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $11,292,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Holocene Advisors LP bought a new position in International Business Machines in the third quarter worth $573,306,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 2.2% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 55,671,883 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $12,307,940,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200,803 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 90.4% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,687,253 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $370,909,000 after acquiring an additional 800,930 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 23,311.1% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 697,182 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $153,262,000 after acquiring an additional 694,204 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 587.1% during the third quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 628,213 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $134,262,000 after acquiring an additional 536,785 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

NYSE:IBM traded down $2.97 on Friday, hitting $261.77. The stock had a trading volume of 5,665,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,259,826. The stock has a market cap of $242.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $235.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $221.81. International Business Machines Co. has a 52-week low of $162.62 and a 52-week high of $265.72.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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 return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 104.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $231.44.

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.