International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 0.5% – Should You Buy?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) was up 0.5% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $253.00 and last traded at $251.44. Approximately 1,481,170 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 62% from the average daily volume of 3,919,567 shares. The stock had previously closed at $250.19.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $238.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.98. 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 $234.66 billion, a PE ratio of 39.48, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.76.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced 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 fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of IBM. JBR Co Financial Management Inc boosted its position in International Business Machines by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. JBR Co Financial Management Inc now owns 6,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,405,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. now owns 3,972 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $873,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,351 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,396,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $315,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Callan Capital LLC lifted its position in International Business Machines by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Callan Capital LLC now owns 1,870 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 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.