International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 0.5% Higher – Here’s Why

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)’s share price traded up 0.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $257.63 and last traded at $257.10. 777,582 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 4,626,673 shares. The stock had previously closed at $255.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on IBM. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com raised International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $234.16 billion, a PE ratio of 39.51, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $237.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $223.48.

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

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is presently 104.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the third 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 position in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management boosted its position in International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.