International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 1.1% - Still a Buy?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) rose 1.1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $224.44 and last traded at $224.41. Approximately 1,186,216 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 4,239,474 shares. The stock had previously closed at $221.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Bernstein Bank lifted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $200.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on International Business Machines from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $209.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $208.94.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $207.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.67, a PEG ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.73. The company's 50 day moving average is $221.61 and its 200 day moving average is $204.84. 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.03. International Business Machines had a net margin of 10.22% and a return on equity of 40.52%. The company had revenue of $14.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.20 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.98%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is currently 97.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total transaction of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares in the company, valued at $5,463,928. The trade was a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of International Business Machines

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Ellenbecker Investment Group raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 2,049 shares of the technology company's stock worth $453,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Goldstein Advisors LLC increased its stake in International Business Machines by 4.0% during the third quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC now owns 1,217 shares of the technology company's stock worth $269,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the technology company's stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Sollinda Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sollinda Capital Management LLC now owns 1,360 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lansing Street Advisors grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Lansing Street Advisors now owns 1,503 shares of the technology company's stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.