5,553 Shares in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Bought by Optimize Financial Inc

Optimize Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 5,553 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,567,000. International Business Machines accounts for about 0.8% of Optimize Financial Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,011,122,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,051,475 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,019,274,000 after purchasing an additional 1,913,708 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in International Business Machines by 27,928.2% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,903,116 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $561,001,000 after buying an additional 1,896,326 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at $133,771,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 45.8% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,313,241 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $387,118,000 after buying an additional 412,574 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on IBM shares. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $304.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group set a $317.00 price target on International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.07.

International Business Machines Trading Down 6.4%

International Business Machines stock opened at $294.73 on Wednesday. International Business Machines Corporation has a one year low of $214.50 and a one year high of $324.90. The business’s fifty day moving average is $302.86 and its 200 day moving average is $283.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $275.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.69.

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

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a $1.68 dividend. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 60.27%.

Trending Headlines about International Business Machines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat outlook prompted analyst raises and ETF interest, supporting near-term demand for IBM shares. ETFs to Watch as IBM Shares Jump Following Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms (Bernstein, Stifel and others) raised price targets after the quarter, indicating continued analyst conviction despite differing target levels. Bernstein and Stifel Lift IBM Price Targets After Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company push into enterprise AI and software is being highlighted as a durable growth driver, including board additions that strengthen go-to-market/enterprise relationships. IBM Deepens Enterprise AI Push As Board Adds PepsiCo Chief
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces argue IBM’s software mix is reframing its market story and supporting higher-margin growth potential, a multi-quarter thematic tailwind. How Software Reframed IBM’s Market Story in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Large federal and defense contracts (including a UK defence modernization deal) add recurring, high-margin revenue visibility and de-risk longer-term growth. Can IBM’s Lucrative Federal Contracts Boost Its Future Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is a mixed signal: some analysts raise targets while others (and valuation studies) say upside is already priced in — creating divergent views that increase volatility. Assessing IBM (IBM) Valuation After Recent Share Price Strength And Mixed Fair Value Signals
• Neutral Sentiment: Interest from funds and institutional moves are notable (mixed additions and trims), which can amplify intraday swings but don’t yet signal a directional change in fundamentals. $IBM stock is up 2% today. Here’s what we see in our data.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term initiatives (quantum computing pilot projects, international revenue trends) are constructive but represent multi-year upside rather than near-term catalysts. Quantum Computing News: How Defense, IBM, and Wall Street Are Testing Real World Use
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and coverage explicitly warn the stock is approaching full valuation despite the beat, and at least one firm maintains a low target — a reason for profit-taking and the pullback today. Bernstein raises International Business Machines (IBM) target but flags full valuation after Q4 beat

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were purchased 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s 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.