StockNews.com Lowers International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) to Hold

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Societe Generale reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $143.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Wedbush raised their target price on International Business Machines from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Bank of America upped their price target on International Business Machines from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded International Business Machines from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Friday, January 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $184.08.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of International Business Machines stock opened at $166.19 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $186.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $170.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $152.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.70. International Business Machines has a fifty-two week low of $120.55 and a fifty-two week high of $199.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The technology company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.21% and a net margin of 13.18%. The company had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.36 EPS. International Business Machines’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that International Business Machines will post 9.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 971.4% in the 3rd quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 225 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is 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.