International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 0.6% – Still a Buy?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)’s stock price traded up 0.6% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $237.37 and last traded at $236.73. 679,549 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 4,182,172 shares. The stock had previously closed at $235.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on International Business Machines from $211.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $198.41.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $214.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.70. The company’s fifty day moving average is $208.71 and its 200 day moving average is $187.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.27. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.59% and a net margin of 13.52%. The firm had revenue of $15.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.18 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.86%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is currently 75.65%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter worth $7,160,000. Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 60.8% during the 1st quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,535 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,921,000 after purchasing an additional 7,768 shares during the period. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Burns J W & Co. Inc. NY now owns 2,571 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $491,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $702,000. Finally, Retirement Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $618,000. 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.