International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 1.4%

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) shot up 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $185.71 and last traded at $183.75. 4,473,654 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 37% from the average session volume of 3,265,758 shares. The stock had previously closed at $181.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on IBM. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $155.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. Societe Generale reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $143.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 5th. They set a “hold” rating and a $180.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $178.67.

International Business Machines Stock Down 0.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $165.57 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a PEG ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.70. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $188.56 and its 200-day moving average is $168.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The technology company reported $3.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.78 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $17.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.29 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 12.13% and a return on equity of 39.55%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.60 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 9th. Investors of record on Friday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $1.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $6.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 164.0% in the first quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 198 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.