International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 1.8% - What's Next?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 1.8% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $218.60 and last traded at $218.43. Approximately 963,666 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 4,214,387 shares. The stock had previously closed at $214.60.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IBM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America upped their price target on International Business Machines from $209.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $208.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on International Business Machines from $200.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $205.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Bernstein Bank upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $208.12.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $219.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $194.64. The stock has a market cap of $205.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.20 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.01%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 97.23%.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 25,390 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,463,928. The trade was a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.07% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 37.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC now owns 222 shares of the technology company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. 58.96% of the stock is 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.