United Bank Raises Stock Holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

United Bank grew its holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 45.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,172 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 2,544 shares during the quarter. United Bank’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $1,796,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its position in International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $243.83 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $249.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $231.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. International Business Machines Co. has a 1 year low of $162.62 and a 1 year high of $266.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.10 billion, a PE ratio of 38.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.74%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 104.21%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IBM has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on 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 upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Erste Group Bank raised shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 17th. StockNews.com cut shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $231.44.

Insider Activity

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Company Profile

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.