International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 0.3% – Should You Sell?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) dropped 0.3% on Friday . The company traded as low as $238.50 and last traded at $242.65. Approximately 2,140,712 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 3,882,113 shares. The stock had previously closed at $243.32.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on IBM. Wedbush began coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $246.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $229.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The stock has a market cap of $226.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities analysts expect 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 paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 104.21%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DSG Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $372,000. Triton Wealth Management PLLC grew its position in International Business Machines by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 1,274 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. 111 Capital bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $292,000. Thoma Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $1,146,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in International Business Machines by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 908,083 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $199,624,000 after acquiring an additional 128,615 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.