International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $249.06.

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on International Business Machines from $237.00 to $233.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. KGI Securities set a $242.00 target price on International Business Machines and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. 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.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. SSA Swiss Advisors AG acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Dagco Inc. bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 1st quarter worth about $31,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of International Business Machines stock opened at $258.79 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $245.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $238.19. International Business Machines has a twelve month low of $163.53 and a twelve month high of $269.28. The firm has a market cap of $240.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.18. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business had revenue of $14.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a $1.68 dividend. This is a positive change from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.60%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 115.66%.

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.