International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

IBM has been the subject of several other research reports. HSBC set a $175.00 price objective on International Business Machines and gave the company a “reduce” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $320.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $270.00 to $230.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Argus dropped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $360.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $293.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.90.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

IBM opened at $233.73 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $244.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $247.91. The company has a market capitalization of $220.20 billion, a PE ratio of 20.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.70. International Business Machines has a 1 year low of $199.19 and a 1 year high of $332.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93. The business had revenue of $17.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.80 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 12.33 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total transaction of $5,758,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 47,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,009,296. This represents a 34.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of IBM. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting International Business Machines

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s acquisition of HRL Laboratories adds silicon-spin qubit, advanced materials and manufacturing expertise that could improve the company’s ability to develop scalable quantum-computing systems. The deal strengthens IBM’s technology pipeline, although commercial benefits may take years to materialize. Can IBM’s HRL Acquisition Boost Its Quantum Computing Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna analyst James Friedman raised his IBM price target to $235, citing several upcoming quantum-computing catalysts. However, his caution indicates that quantum remains an emerging opportunity rather than an immediate earnings driver. Can Quantum Computing Save IBM Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: A new market report identifies IBM as a leading enterprise blockchain and Blockchain-as-a-Service provider, highlighting its cloud-native offerings and exposure to expected blockchain-market growth. IBM Emerges As a Leading Enterprise Blockchain Provider
• Neutral Sentiment: Research reports forecast growth in biological computing, computer-based sensing, business service management, UNIX and high-throughput computing. IBM is listed among market participants, but the reports do not announce contracts, revenue changes or specific financial benefits for the company.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage says IBM’s stock has fallen sharply after missing second-quarter revenue expectations, reinforcing investor concerns about product and top-line momentum. Quantum initiatives may not offset near-term execution concerns. IBM Stock Falls 19%: Will Quantum Computing Spark a Recovery?
• Negative Sentiment: A securities law firm announced an investigation into possible securities-law violations following IBM’s significant decline. The announcement is not a finding of wrongdoing, but it adds headline and potential litigation risk. IBM Investment Losses and Pending Securities Fraud Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of a senior executive selling approximately $5.8 million of IBM stock may weigh modestly on sentiment, though insider sales can reflect personal financial planning and are not necessarily evidence of deteriorating fundamentals. IBM SVP Sells $5.758 Million in Stock

International Business Machines Company Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.