International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading Down 0.4% – Should You Sell?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)’s stock price fell 0.4% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $262.15 and last traded at $263.37. 1,722,231 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 4,606,184 shares. The stock had previously closed at $264.32.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Oppenheimer began coverage on International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group upped their target price on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $235.27 and its 200-day moving average is $221.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The stock has a market cap of $242.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.84, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.76.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. On average, analysts expect that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 104.21%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IBM. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its stake in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.