International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 1.5% – Time to Buy?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) were up 1.5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $248.49 and last traded at $247.44. Approximately 759,236 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 3,888,613 shares. The stock had previously closed at $243.87.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on IBM. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Up 1.5 %

The company has a market capitalization of $229.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.60, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average price of $246.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $230.09.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.70%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.21%.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.