ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 156 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 15,003 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 156 shares during the period. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $3,298,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of IBM. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its stake in 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. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $224.73 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. The company has a market capitalization of $207.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.71, a PEG ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.74. International Business Machines Co. has a 12 month low of $162.62 and a 12 month high of $239.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $222.87 and its 200 day moving average is $211.14.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $2.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.08 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.52% and a net margin of 10.22%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.20 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is presently 97.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on IBM shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $200.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on International Business Machines from $208.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. UBS Group upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $205.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $216.87.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares in the company, valued at $5,463,928. This represents a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

International Business Machines 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.