International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $231.44.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Oppenheimer began coverage on International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com raised International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of IBM stock opened at $255.86 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The stock has a market cap of $236.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.92, a PEG ratio of 5.57 and a beta of 0.76. The business’s fifty day moving average is $230.70 and its 200 day moving average is $218.22. International Business Machines has a twelve month low of $162.62 and a twelve month high of $265.72.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Research analysts expect that International Business Machines will post 10.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 104.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About International Business Machines

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.