International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 2.6% - Here's Why

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) fell 2.6% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $246.02 and last traded at $246.31. 779,489 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 3,874,623 shares. The stock had previously closed at $252.97.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on IBM. StockNews.com cut shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. Wedbush began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.2 %

The business's 50-day moving average is $246.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $230.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $226.02 billion, a PE ratio of 38.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, equities research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.74%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management raised its stake 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 buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised 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 buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. 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.