International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 0.3% - Should You Buy?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 0.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $250.61 and last traded at $249.24. Approximately 647,391 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 3,901,451 shares. The stock had previously closed at $248.45.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on IBM. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com cut International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. UBS Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $231.44.

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International Business Machines Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $225.99 billion, a PE ratio of 38.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $249.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $231.01.

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

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 is currently 104.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the firm'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 owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management lifted its holdings in International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

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.