International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Upgraded at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on IBM. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Oppenheimer downgraded International Business Machines from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on International Business Machines from $267.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. KeyCorp cut International Business Machines to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on International Business Machines from $320.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $269.80.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $206.70 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.28 billion, a PE ratio of 18.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.68. International Business Machines has a 1 year low of $199.19 and a 1 year high of $332.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $263.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $260.82.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its 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 firm had revenue of $17.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 36.58% and a net margin of 15.52%.The company’s revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.80 earnings per share. Analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 12.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $1.69 per share. This represents a $6.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.77%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IBM. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 97,216,131 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,796,390,000 after purchasing an additional 1,439,824 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 54,996,293 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $16,290,452,000 after purchasing an additional 518,321 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 22,605,083 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,679,105,000 after purchasing an additional 336,069 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in International Business Machines by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,021,912 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,523,720,000 after purchasing an additional 4,976,756 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 16,063,653 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,893,669,000 after buying an additional 1,049,602 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key International Business Machines News

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

• Negative Sentiment: IBM missed revenue expectations and lowered its 2026 revenue growth forecast after customers delayed software deals and shifted spending toward AI infrastructure, which hurt mainframe-related sales and raised concerns about near-term growth. IBM buys HRL Laboratories in shift to two-track quantum computing strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles highlight a sharp selloff and investor concern that IBM’s mainframe weakness and softer execution could keep the stock in a “holding pattern” until the company proves its new guidance is achievable. IBM Lowers Its Growth Outlook as Sales of Data Center Mainframes Sink 42%
• Negative Sentiment: Law firms announced securities-fraud investigations tied to the post-earnings stock drop, adding an overhang that can further weigh on sentiment. IBM Investigated by the Portnoy Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: Media coverage also framed IBM as one of the weakest names among large-cap tech stocks after the earnings disappointment, reinforcing the bearish narrative around the shares. IBM just had its worst day on the market in decades — and the CEO blames a spending shift he didn’t see coming
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM did meet adjusted EPS expectations and said cash flow, dividend policy, and longer-term profitability remain intact, which helped limit some of the selloff even as revenue disappointed.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is trying to reassure investors that AI is not a major threat to the software unit and that delayed deals are being pushed rather than lost, suggesting a possible second-half rebound if execution improves. IBM’s Krishna tries to reassure investors that AI won’t disrupt company’s software unit
• Positive Sentiment: IBM announced it is acquiring HRL Laboratories to expand its quantum computing capabilities, a strategic move that strengthens the company’s long-term growth story in advanced computing. IBM buys HRL Laboratories in shift to two-track quantum computing strategy
• Positive Sentiment: The acquisition and IBM’s continued emphasis on quantum and AI helped offset some of the earnings disappointment, since investors see these as potential long-term growth drivers.

About International Business Machines

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.