International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 2.6% Higher - Still a Buy?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 2.6% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $249.50 and last traded at $250.36. 1,357,243 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 4,080,062 shares. The stock had previously closed at $244.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target 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. StockNews.com cut shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, January 27th. 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $231.13.

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International Business Machines Trading Down 2.6 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $225.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.67. 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 firm's 50 day moving average is $251.05 and its 200 day moving average is $232.26.

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 net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Equities analysts forecast 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.74%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is 104.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 stock. JBR Co Financial Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. JBR Co Financial Management Inc now owns 6,390 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $1,405,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. now owns 3,972 shares of the technology company's stock worth $873,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,351 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,396,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Callan Capital LLC lifted its position in International Business Machines by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Callan Capital LLC now owns 1,870 shares of the technology company's stock worth $411,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.