International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wedbush began coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Bank of America lifted their price objective 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, January 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $231.44.

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International Business Machines Stock Performance

NYSE:IBM traded down $7.87 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $249.03. 5,628,917 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,924,493. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $242.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $227.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. International Business Machines has a twelve month low of $162.62 and a twelve month high of $266.45.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. On average, analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 2.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is 104.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Old North State Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 38.9% in the fourth quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 6,109 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $1,343,000 after purchasing an additional 1,710 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Triton Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Capstone Triton Financial Group LLC now owns 6,990 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,537,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. IronOak Wealth LLC. acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $235,000. Elite Financial Inc. purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at about $673,000. Finally, Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.