International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Shares Bought by Vest Financial LLC

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC increased its IBM holdings by 33% in the third quarter, adding 117,873 shares to own 474,969 shares worth approximately $104.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 58.96% of IBM.
• IBM reported quarterly earnings of $2.95 per share on $17.1 billion in revenue, beating analyst expectations, while revenue grew 4.7% year over year. The company also cited stronger software and infrastructure performance and improved free-cash-flow expectations.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $255.76, while IBM declared a quarterly dividend of $1.69 per share, representing a 2.7% annualized yield.

Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 33.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 474,969 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 117,873 shares during the period. International Business Machines makes up 1.1% of Vest Financial LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.05% of International Business Machines worth $104,460,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 114.6% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 103 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In related news, SVP Robert Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 47,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,009,296. The trade was a 34.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

IBM has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Argus lowered their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $360.00 to $280.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Oppenheimer lowered International Business Machines from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Barclays dropped their target price on International Business Machines from $288.00 to $262.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Yorkville Ives initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, October 5th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $275.00 target price for the company. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $255.76.

Key International Business Machines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results exceeded expectations: IBM reported adjusted earnings of $2.95 per share versus consensus estimates near $2.85-$2.88, while revenue rose approximately 5% year over year to $17.1 billion, ahead of the roughly $16.8 billion forecast. IBM beats on top and bottom lines
• Positive Sentiment: Software and infrastructure growth accelerated: Software revenue increased 8% to $7.8 billion and Infrastructure revenue rose 4% to $3.7 billion. Management said previously delayed infrastructure deals began closing, supporting the view that the prior-quarter slowdown was temporary. IBM raises annual software revenue outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Cash-flow outlook improved: IBM generated $3.0 billion in free cash flow during the quarter and expects full-year free cash flow to increase by more than $1 billion from the prior year. The company maintained its 4%-5% full-year constant-currency revenue-growth forecast. IBM third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Arvind Krishna highlighted momentum in enterprise AI and “Super Intelligence” initiatives, while IBM’s partnerships around open-source AI inference and its quantum-computing strategy add longer-term growth catalysts.
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM’s GAAP net income rose to $2.19 billion from $1.74 billion a year earlier, and the board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.69 per share.
• Negative Sentiment: Gross margin was narrower than expected, which could limit the benefit of revenue growth if elevated AI, infrastructure, or implementation costs persist.

International Business Machines Price Performance

NYSE:IBM opened at $250.67 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $236.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.73. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52 week low of $199.19 and a 52 week high of $332.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $232.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $243.60.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The technology company reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $17.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.82 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.52% and a return on equity of 35.65%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.65 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.34 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 10th will be given a $1.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is currently 59.98%.

International Business Machines Company Profile

International Business Machines Corporation NYSE: IBM, commonly known as IBM, is a global technology and consulting company that helps organizations modernize their information technology and business operations. Its offerings include hybrid cloud solutions, artificial intelligence software and services, enterprise software, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, data analytics, and technology consulting.

IBM provides products and services to businesses, governments, and other institutions across industries and regions worldwide.

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