International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Shares Purchased by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 16.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 908,083 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 128,615 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC owned 0.10% of International Business Machines worth $199,624,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Tacita Capital Inc raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 174.3% during the 4th quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 192 shares of the technology company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $43,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of International Business Machines stock traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $258.88. 9,667,740 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,225,727. The business has a 50-day moving average of $246.37 and a 200-day moving average of $239.81. International Business Machines Co. has a 1 year low of $163.53 and a 1 year high of $269.28. 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 capitalization of $240.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.39, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the business earned $1.68 EPS. The business's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $1.68 dividend. This is an increase from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.60%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 115.66%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on IBM shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $276.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $170.00 price objective (up previously from $160.00) on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $249.06.

International Business Machines 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.