International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Stock: Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC Boosts Stake

Key Points

• Foster Victor Wealth Advisors increased its IBM stake by 4.1% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 71,542 shares valued at approximately $16.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 58.96% of IBM.
• IBM reported quarterly earnings of $2.95 per share and revenue of $17.1 billion, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue grew 4.7% year over year.
• IBM shares opened at $250.67, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $255.76. An IBM senior vice president separately sold 25,000 shares valued at about $5.8 million.

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 4.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 71,542 shares of the technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,847 shares during the quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $16,912,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 24.8% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 64,458 shares of the technology company's stock worth $15,624,000 after purchasing an additional 12,791 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the second quarter valued at $15,237,000. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 939.4% during the second quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 30,495 shares of the technology company's stock worth $8,575,000 after purchasing an additional 27,561 shares during the period. St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 34.6% during the second quarter. St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC now owns 14,234 shares of the technology company's stock worth $4,121,000 after purchasing an additional 3,659 shares during the period. Finally, Evercore Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 9.0% during the first quarter. Evercore Wealth Management LLC now owns 62,801 shares of the technology company's stock worth $15,222,000 after purchasing an additional 5,196 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of IBM opened at $250.67 on Thursday. International Business Machines Corporation has a 12 month low of $199.19 and a 12 month 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. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $232.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $243.60. The company has a market cap of $236.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.24, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.73.

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

Key Stories Impacting International Business Machines

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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on IBM. Craig Hallum began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Citic Securities boosted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $294.00 to $297.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 12th. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $255.00 to $245.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $255.76.

Insider Activity at International Business Machines

In related news, SVP Robert Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 47,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,009,296. This trade represents a 34.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

About International Business Machines

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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