StockNews.com Lowers International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on IBM. Societe Generale reissued a sell rating and issued a $143.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of International Business Machines from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $200.00 in a report on Friday, January 19th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a buy rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $155.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $184.08.

International Business Machines Stock Down 1.0 %

IBM stock opened at $167.20 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $187.60 and its 200 day moving average is $170.15. The stock has a market cap of $153.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. International Business Machines has a 1-year low of $120.55 and a 1-year high of $199.18.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The technology company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. International Business Machines had a net margin of 13.18% and a return on equity of 40.50%. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.53 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.36 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that International Business Machines will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 971.4% during 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 in the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.