International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 0.3% – Time to Sell?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) was down 0.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $215.16 and last traded at $220.30. Approximately 1,201,791 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 4,170,424 shares. The stock had previously closed at $221.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on IBM shares. Wedbush began coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $231.13.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $218.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.74, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $249.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $232.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were paid a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.