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

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC trimmed its stake in IBM by 8.3% in Q4, selling 23,479 shares and retaining 259,575 shares valued at about $76.89 million (roughly 1.0% of its portfolio).
• IBM beat Q1 estimates with $1.91 EPS and $15.92 billion in revenue (up 9.5% YoY), but the stock has drawn mixed analyst reactions and remains under pressure despite a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average target of $296.18.
• IBM raised its quarterly dividend to $1.69 ($6.76 annualized) for a ~3.0% yield, with an ex-dividend date of May 8 and a payout ratio around 59.4%.

Vest Financial LLC reduced its stake in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 8.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 259,575 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 23,479 shares during the period. International Business Machines makes up approximately 1.0% of Vest Financial LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $76,889,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at about $852,000. Waverton Investment Management Ltd grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 993,743 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $280,439,000 after acquiring an additional 32,072 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,122 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,887,000 after acquiring an additional 3,029 shares during the period. NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 51.7% during the 3rd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 114,395 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $32,278,000 after acquiring an additional 38,973 shares during the period. Finally, American National Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 26.2% during the 3rd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 12,537 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,537,000 after acquiring an additional 2,603 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting International Business Machines

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBM launched "IBM Bob," a global, enterprise-focused AI development partner that automates workflows across the full software development lifecycle and emphasizes governance/security — 80,000 IBM employees are already using it and internal surveys cite large productivity gains. This strengthens IBM's positioning in enterprise AI and software-driven recurring revenue. Introducing IBM Bob: AI Development Partner that Takes Enterprises from AI-Assisted Coding to Production-Ready Software
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlighting a near-term cash opportunity: coverage pieces argue the post‑earnings selloff may be overdone and point to roughly $1 billion of projected incremental free cash flow as a reason some investors see a buy-the-dip opportunity. A $1 Billion Reason to Buy the Dip in IBM Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and market volatility is contributing to intraday swings; IBM is among names in focus as benchmarks trade mixed, so broader market moves (not just company-specific news) are influencing short-term stock action. Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Drop, Dow Gains As Trump Floats 'New' Iran Proposal—IBM, Bed Bath & Beyond, BP In Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reports list IBM among leaders in the global AI software platforms market, underscoring long-term TAM exposure even if near-term results vary. This is supportive for strategic positioning but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Artificial Intelligence Software Platforms Global Market Report 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst skepticism and target cuts after Q1: BMO trimmed its price target citing softer-than-expected organic software growth, reflecting concern that high-margin segments aren't accelerating as hoped. That downgrade is pressuring the stock. BMO Trims IBM Target on Soft Growth, Wedbush Sees AI Tailwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Critical coverage argues the Q1 beat masks a structural mix issue: hardware strength may be masking slower growth in higher‑margin software and consulting, undermining optimism about durable margin expansion. That narrative is keeping some investors cautious. A Strong Quarter Does Not Make IBM Stock A Strong Buy
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑earnings commentary notes the stock has been left out of the AI rerating despite beat; momentum and perception versus pure‑play AI peers remain headwinds until IBM demonstrates sustainable software/AI growth acceleration. IBM’s Post‑Earnings Slide is Overdone. The Quantum AI Story is Mispriced and Misunderstood

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on IBM shares. Wedbush dropped their target price on International Business Machines from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Evercore raised their target price on International Business Machines from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. DZ Bank upgraded International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $295.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on International Business Machines from $215.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $290.00 to $270.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $296.18.

International Business Machines Trading Down 1.7%

IBM opened at $227.99 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $245.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $279.88. International Business Machines Corporation has a 1-year low of $220.72 and a 1-year high of $324.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $214.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.69.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.10. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.61% and a return on equity of 37.23%. The business had revenue of $15.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.60 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.60 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $6.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. This is an increase from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.68. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 59.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $304.00 per share, for a total transaction of $304,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,258 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael Miebach purchased 434 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $233.33 per share, with a total value of $101,265.22. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,265.22. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought a total of 1,484 shares of company stock valued at $417,157 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

About International Business Machines

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.

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