International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading Down 3.5% - Should You Sell?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) fell 3.5% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $237.22 and last traded at $243.39. 2,248,470 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 42% from the average session volume of 3,868,619 shares. The stock had previously closed at $252.29.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on IBM shares. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $231.44.

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International Business Machines Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $226.02 billion, a PE ratio of 38.03, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The firm's 50-day moving average is $246.77 and its 200 day moving average is $229.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04.

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

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was 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 $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DSG Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $372,000. Triton Wealth Management PLLC increased its position in International Business Machines by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 1,274 shares of the technology company's stock worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the period. 111 Capital acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $292,000. Thoma Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,146,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 908,083 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $199,624,000 after buying an additional 128,615 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.