Morgan Stanley Raises International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Price Target to $222.00

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) had its price objective boosted by Morgan Stanley from $208.00 to $222.00 in a research note published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the technology company's stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $209.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $215.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $208.94.

International Business Machines Trading Down 0.6 %

IBM stock traded down $1.48 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $229.34. The stock had a trading volume of 3,609,208 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,225,441. International Business Machines has a 12-month low of $157.88 and a 12-month high of $239.35. The firm has a market cap of $212.05 billion, a PE ratio of 33.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.73. The company's 50-day moving average price is $222.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $2.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.03. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.52% and a net margin of 10.22%. The company had revenue of $14.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.20 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines will post 10.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.91%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 97.23%.

Insider Activity

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total transaction of $774,720.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,463,928. The trade was a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the second quarter worth $36,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Briaud Financial Planning Inc boosted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 54.3% in the 2nd quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 284 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

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.