Investors Buy Large Volume of International Business Machines Put Options (NYSE:IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors acquired 56,108 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 42% compared to the typical volume of 39,506 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on IBM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $312.00 to $317.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $330.07.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price 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 approximately $2,814,432. The trade was a 12.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of International Business Machines

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Family CFO Inc purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

More International Business Machines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Confluent shareholders approved the merger agreement for IBM to acquire Confluent, adding streaming data/real-time analytics capabilities that strengthen IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI stack — a strategic, long-term positive for revenue and product positioning. Confluent Shareholders Approve IBM Acquisition Merger Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Product momentum: IBM highlighted updates to FlashSystem and QRadar that reinforce its storage and security offerings — supports the company’s enterprise AI and hybrid-cloud revenue narrative. IBM AI FlashSystem And QRadar Updates Shape Storage And Security Story
• Neutral Sentiment: ETF/fund and dividend context: IBM remains a dividend stalwart often featured in dividend-aristocrat lists, supporting longer-term income-oriented demand even as short-term traders react to news. 3 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks To Buy for Reliable Income In 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Third‑party partner visibility: Coverage around Datavault AI noted an IBM partnership that raises IBM’s ecosystem profile, but that mention is peripheral and unlikely to move IBM stock materially by itself. Datavault AI Death Cross Collides With IBM, Super Bowl Boost
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional trimming: A reported fund filing shows Advisors Asset Management reduced its IBM holding by ~11% (~20,967 shares), a modest but visible institutional sell signal. Fund Update: Advisors Asset Management, Inc. Just Disclosed New Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy put buying: Unusually large options activity — reported surge in put purchases — indicates elevated short-term bearish bets and risk hedging that amplify downward pressure. (No link available)
• Negative Sentiment: Broader selling signals and volume spike: Real‑time data shows large trading volume, notable institutional reductions (including large JPMorgan portfolio moves reported previously) and divergent analyst targets; the combination is likely increasing volatility and weigh on the stock today. $IBM stock is down 6% today. Here’s what we see in our data.

International Business Machines Trading Down 4.8%

NYSE:IBM opened at $259.74 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $242.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The company has a fifty day moving average of $300.15 and a 200 day moving average of $283.89. International Business Machines has a 52 week low of $214.50 and a 52 week high of $324.90.

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

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a $1.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.