International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading Up 0.9% – Here’s Why

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) traded up 0.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $261.18 and last traded at $261.65. 629,097 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 4,634,042 shares. The stock had previously closed at $259.19.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on IBM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $241.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.66, a PEG ratio of 5.57 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $232.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $219.25.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Equities analysts expect that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.75 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.56%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 104.21%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management lifted its stake 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 last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by 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.