Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Makes New $9.75 Million Investment in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Key Points

• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions initiated a roughly $9.75 million IBM position by purchasing 34,668 shares in the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 58.96% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 16 Buy, 11 Hold and one Sell rating, producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $265.90.
• IBM’s latest quarter matched earnings expectations at $2.93 per share, but revenue of $17.16 billion fell short of the $17.46 billion forecast. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.69 per share, equivalent to a 2.9% yield.

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 34,668 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $9,749,000.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,446,429,000. Capital World Investors increased its stake in International Business Machines by 29.2% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 22,021,912 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $6,523,720,000 after purchasing an additional 4,976,756 shares in the last quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 27,169.6% in the second quarter. Ascentis Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,224,635 shares of the technology company's stock worth $906,800,000 after purchasing an additional 3,212,810 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 83.4% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,617,117 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,663,847,000 after purchasing an additional 2,553,552 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 359.6% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,896,675 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $561,814,000 after buying an additional 1,484,026 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on IBM shares. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Needham & Company LLC started coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Wedbush set a $350.00 price target on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $270.00 price objective on International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Argus decreased their price objective on International Business Machines from $360.00 to $280.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $265.90.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 25,000 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total value of $5,758,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 47,800 shares in the company, valued at $11,009,296. This trade represents a 34.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

International Business Machines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s acquisition of HRL Laboratories adds silicon-spin qubit, advanced materials and manufacturing expertise that could improve the company’s ability to develop scalable quantum-computing systems. The deal strengthens IBM’s technology pipeline, although commercial benefits may take years to materialize. Can IBM’s HRL Acquisition Boost Its Quantum Computing Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna analyst James Friedman raised his IBM price target to $235, citing several upcoming quantum-computing catalysts. However, his caution indicates that quantum remains an emerging opportunity rather than an immediate earnings driver. Can Quantum Computing Save IBM Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: A new market report identifies IBM as a leading enterprise blockchain and Blockchain-as-a-Service provider, highlighting its cloud-native offerings and exposure to expected blockchain-market growth. IBM Emerges As a Leading Enterprise Blockchain Provider
• Neutral Sentiment: Research reports forecast growth in biological computing, computer-based sensing, business service management, UNIX and high-throughput computing. IBM is listed among market participants, but the reports do not announce contracts, revenue changes or specific financial benefits for the company.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage says IBM’s stock has fallen sharply after missing second-quarter revenue expectations, reinforcing investor concerns about product and top-line momentum. Quantum initiatives may not offset near-term execution concerns. IBM Stock Falls 19%: Will Quantum Computing Spark a Recovery?
• Negative Sentiment: A securities law firm announced an investigation into possible securities-law violations following IBM’s significant decline. The announcement is not a finding of wrongdoing, but it adds headline and potential litigation risk. IBM Investment Losses and Pending Securities Fraud Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of a senior executive selling approximately $5.8 million of IBM stock may weigh modestly on sentiment, though insider sales can reflect personal financial planning and are not necessarily evidence of deteriorating fundamentals. IBM SVP Sells $5.758 Million in Stock

International Business Machines Stock Performance

IBM opened at $233.73 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $220.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.70. The business's 50-day moving average price is $244.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $247.91. International Business Machines Corporation has a 1 year low of $199.19 and a 1 year high of $332.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

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

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.69 per share. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 10th. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.98%.

International Business Machines Company Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM's principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source