International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading Down 0.4% - Should You Sell?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) traded down 0.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $262.15 and last traded at $263.37. 1,722,231 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 4,606,184 shares. The stock had previously closed at $264.32.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the subject of several research reports. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Bank of America raised 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $242.05 billion, a PE ratio of 40.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.76. The business has a 50-day moving average of $235.27 and a 200 day moving average of $222.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

Institutional Trading of International Business Machines

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its position in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management lifted its position in International Business Machines by 56.0% in 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. 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.