Welch & Forbes LLC Sells 4,746 Shares of International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Welch & Forbes LLC trimmed its holdings in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 54,413 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 4,746 shares during the quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $15,353,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of IBM. Family CFO Inc bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in International Business Machines by 129.1% in the third quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 126 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Copia Wealth Management boosted its position in International Business Machines by 57.6% in the second quarter. Copia Wealth Management now owns 134 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IBM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $312.00 to $317.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wedbush boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $380.00 target price on International Business Machines and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.07.

Trending Headlines about International Business Machines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upgraded 2026 revenue outlook — IBM reported better‑than‑expected Q4 EPS and revenue, highlighted strong software and AI (watsonx/Red Hat) momentum, and gave FY‑2026 revenue guidance above Street consensus. These fundamentals are the primary driver of recent upside interest. IBM Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: AI & software growth narrative strengthened — Management said AI‑related revenue and software growth powered the quarter (software +14%, infrastructure +21%), and IBM is positioning with its Confluent acquisition to expand data streaming for AI workloads — a strategic tailwind for valuation. Analysis Of IBM’s Confluent Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Multiple firms lifted price targets and reiterated buy/outperform views after the quarter (Evercore to $345 outperf; JPMorgan raised its target). Upgrades add buying pressure and validate management’s AI story. Evercore Raises Target JPMorgan Raises IBM Target
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns intact — IBM declared its quarterly dividend ($1.68 per share), supporting income investors and signaling confidence in cash flow. (Ex‑dividend date noted in company disclosures.)
• Positive Sentiment: Board addition brings operating experience — IBM elected Ramon L. Laguarta (former PepsiCo CEO) to the board, adding consumer‑sector and global ops expertise that investors often view as governance strength. IBM Elects Ramon L. Laguarta
• Neutral Sentiment: Large bond sale draws attention to funding and leverage — IBM has launched multi‑part bond offerings (euro and dollar) to fund deals and operations; investors are parsing issuance size, yields and the impact on balance‑sheet leverage. This is a funding update rather than an earnings surprise, so impact is mixed. IBM Bond Sale Puts Fresh Funding And Valuation In Investor Focus
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish/critical takes remain — Some analysts and commentaries highlight risks (execution, macro sensitivity, or areas of weakness) and published critical pieces framing cautionary scenarios that can pressure sentiment after initial euphoria. IBM: Limping Into 2026

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director David N. Farr acquired 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $304.00 per share, with a total value of $304,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,258 shares in the company, valued at $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

International Business Machines Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of IBM stock opened at $306.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.89. International Business Machines Corporation has a one year low of $214.50 and a one year high of $324.90. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $302.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $283.14. The company has a market capitalization of $286.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.49, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.70.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.33 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $19.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 38.15%. International Business Machines’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.92 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a $1.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is currently 60.27%.

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.