Natixis Sells 54,813 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Natixis trimmed its position in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 35.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,847 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 54,813 shares during the quarter. Natixis' holdings in International Business Machines were worth $21,730,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in 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.

International Business Machines Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of IBM traded up $3.85 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $244.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,523,120 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,237,293. 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 firm has a market cap of $226.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.18, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a 50 day moving average of $246.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $233.79. International Business Machines Co. has a 1-year low of $162.62 and a 1-year high of $266.45.

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

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 104.21%.

Insider Activity

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on IBM shares. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $232.75.

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.