Strategic Planning Group LLC Buys 574 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Strategic Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,352 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 574 shares during the quarter. International Business Machines accounts for 1.4% of Strategic Planning Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Strategic Planning Group LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $7,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

IBM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DZ Bank lowered International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $215.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $227.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $220.40.

International Business Machines Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of IBM opened at $229.13 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $213.44. The company has a market cap of $211.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.35, a P/E/G ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.74. International Business Machines Co. has a one year low of $162.62 and a one year high of $239.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 10.22% and a return on equity of 40.52%. Research analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.92%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 97.23%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,463,928. This represents a 12.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

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.