International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Shares Acquired by Czech National Bank

Czech National Bank raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 5.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 212,376 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 11,894 shares during the period. Czech National Bank's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $52,809,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 413.5% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 11,984,609 shares of the technology company's stock worth $2,634,577,000 after purchasing an additional 9,650,534 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $1,236,176,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 29,564.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,399,790 shares of the technology company's stock worth $10,940,520,000 after acquiring an additional 4,384,958 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $592,746,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in International Business Machines by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,845,993 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,384,275,000 after buying an additional 1,704,209 shares in the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group reissued a "sell" rating and set a $170.00 target price (up previously from $160.00) on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $237.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. KGI Securities set a $242.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $249.06.

International Business Machines Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of IBM stock traded up $4.79 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $263.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,831,045 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,217,387. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $246.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $240.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. International Business Machines Co. has a 12-month low of $163.53 and a 12-month high of $269.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $245.22 billion, a PE ratio of 41.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.18. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The company had revenue of $14.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $1.68 dividend. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.55%. This is a positive change from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 115.66%.

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.