International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Price Target Cut to $179.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) had its price objective lowered by Morgan Stanley from $186.00 to $179.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the technology company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Societe Generale restated a sell rating and set a $143.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Evercore ISI upgraded International Business Machines from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and raised their price target for the company from $165.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Friday, January 19th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on International Business Machines from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $184.08.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

IBM stock opened at $167.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $187.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $170.15. International Business Machines has a twelve month low of $120.55 and a twelve month high of $199.18. The firm has a market cap of $153.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a PEG ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 0.70.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The technology company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.21% and a net margin of 13.18%. The business had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.36 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that International Business Machines will post 9.99 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th were issued a $1.66 dividend. This represents a $6.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 8th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 75.20%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 971.4% in the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 225 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.