International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Shares Sold by Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc.

Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. lessened its stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 5.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,752 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 792 shares during the period. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $3,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management raised its stake in International Business Machines by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Down 1.1 %

IBM stock opened at $261.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. International Business Machines Co. has a 52-week low of $162.62 and a 52-week high of $265.72. The company has a 50-day moving average of $235.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $221.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $242.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.80 and a beta of 0.76.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.77 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is presently 104.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on IBM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. 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 note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines 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.