Jefferies Financial Group Raises International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Price Target to $200.00

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) had its target price hoisted by Jefferies Financial Group from $190.00 to $200.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the technology company’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $186.00 to $179.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $184.93.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

NYSE IBM opened at $191.75 on Thursday. International Business Machines has a 52-week low of $135.87 and a 52-week high of $199.18. The stock has a market cap of $176.14 billion, a PE ratio of 21.72, a P/E/G ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $174.75 and a 200-day moving average of $179.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.12.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.27. International Business Machines had a net margin of 13.52% and a return on equity of 40.59%. The firm had revenue of $15.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.62 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.18 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that International Business Machines will post 10.06 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 10th were paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 9th. This is a boost from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.66. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.48%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 75.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new position in International Business Machines in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. ESL Trust Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 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.