260,810 Shares in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Acquired by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems acquired 260,810 IBM shares worth approximately $73.3 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 58.96% of IBM.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $265.16; ratings include 17 Buys, 10 Holds and one Sell.
• IBM reported quarterly EPS of $2.93 on $17.16 billion in revenue, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $1.69, equivalent to a 2.7% annualized yield. Separately, an IBM senior vice president sold 25,000 shares worth $5.76 million.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 260,810 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $73,342,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IBM. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 24.8% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 64,458 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $15,624,000 after purchasing an additional 12,791 shares in the last quarter. Rice Partnership LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,317,000. Sage Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,101,000. Flputnam Investment Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $15,237,000. Finally, United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $10,039,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wedbush set a $350.00 target price on International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $270.00 price target on International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded International Business Machines from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday. Barclays decreased their price objective on International Business Machines from $288.00 to $262.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $265.16.

Key Headlines Impacting International Business Machines

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s AI deployment with a Turkish credit bureau will process approximately 23 million transactions daily, providing evidence that its technology is being used at production scale. The contract’s financial value was not disclosed, limiting the immediate earnings impact. IBM's New AI Deal Must Handle 23 Million Transactions Daily
• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s collaboration with NASA to release an open-source lunar foundation model enhances its credibility in specialized AI. The model analyzes lunar data for features such as craters, ice deposits and volcanic activity, potentially supporting future government and research workloads. IBM Takes its AI Strategy Beyond Earth with NASA Lunar Model
• Positive Sentiment: Technical traders see IBM potentially breaking above the $239 resistance level after forming an ascending-triangle pattern. Sustained trading above that level could reinforce momentum and attract additional buyers. Stock of the Day: Did IBM Just Break Out?
• Neutral Sentiment: NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q Logical platform includes IBM quantum hardware in early benchmarking and could make hybrid GPU-quantum computing more practical. The development supports IBM’s long-term quantum ecosystem, but commercial revenue and adoption remain uncertain. Cashing in on the Qubit: NVIDIA Takes the Quantum Leap
• Neutral Sentiment: Europe’s green IT software market is forecast to more than double by 2031 as companies address sustainability reporting and energy optimization. IBM is listed among the potential beneficiaries, although the report does not identify new IBM revenue or contracts. Europe Green IT Software Forecasts Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Quiver Quantitative data shows an IBM senior vice president sold 25,000 shares, while broader insider activity over the past six months included no purchases. The sale may weigh modestly on sentiment, though it does not necessarily indicate a change in IBM’s fundamentals. IBM Stock Opinions on Recent Price Surge and AI Deals
• Negative Sentiment: IBM’s reported settlement of discrimination-related claims tied to Trump-era diversity, equity and inclusion policies adds legal and reputational risk, although the article provides limited detail on IBM’s payment or potential financial exposure. Consulting's Trump-era DEI Bill

Insider Activity at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Robert Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total transaction of $5,758,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 47,800 shares in the company, valued at $11,009,296. This represents a 34.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

International Business Machines Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of International Business Machines stock opened at $248.39 on Wednesday. International Business Machines Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $199.19 and a fifty-two week high of $332.46. The firm has a market cap of $234.01 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.71. The business's fifty day moving average is $234.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $246.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93. The business had revenue of $17.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.80 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a $1.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 59.98%.

International Business Machines Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company that provides enterprise-focused hardware, software and services. Its offerings include hybrid cloud solutions, artificial intelligence, data and automation software, cybersecurity tools, IT infrastructure and technology consulting.

IBM develops and supports enterprise systems such as IBM Z mainframes, Power servers and storage products. Its software portfolio includes Red Hat hybrid cloud technologies, the watsonx platform for artificial intelligence and data management, application integration tools and cybersecurity solutions.

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