International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Raised to Strong-Buy at Erste Group Bank

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Erste Group Bank from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wedbush started coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $231.44.

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International Business Machines Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of IBM stock traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $243.75. 9,566,862 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,901,054. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $246.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $229.71. International Business Machines has a 12-month low of $162.62 and a 12-month high of $266.45. The stock has a market cap of $226.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.03, a PEG 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.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released 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%. On average, analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 134.3% in the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. 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.