International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 2.6% – Time to Sell?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) fell 2.6% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $246.02 and last traded at $246.31. 779,489 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 3,874,623 shares. The stock had previously closed at $252.97.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on IBM. Oppenheimer began coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Erste Group Bank raised International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets boosted 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. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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 $234.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.40, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a 50-day moving average of $245.88 and a 200-day moving average of $229.33.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share 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%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.65%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

Insider Activity at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction of $6,715,644.43. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management grew its stake in International Business Machines by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.