Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 5,581 Shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has decreased its stake in International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) by 13.7%, now holding 35,217 shares valued at $8.76 million.
• Several hedge funds, including MinichMacGregor Wealth Management and Left Brain Wealth Management, have recently adjusted their positions in IBM, reflecting a broader trend of institutional investors shifting their stakes.
• IBM's stock received mixed ratings, with Wall Street analysts giving it an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $268.75, while some analysts have raised their expectations regarding the company's growth prospects.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lowered its stake in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 13.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,217 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 5,581 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $8,757,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 413.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 11,984,609 shares of the technology company's stock worth $2,634,577,000 after buying an additional 9,650,534 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 29,564.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,399,790 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $10,940,520,000 after purchasing an additional 4,384,958 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,845,993 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,384,275,000 after purchasing an additional 1,704,209 shares during the last quarter. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $302,564,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 4,023,989 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $884,593,000 after purchasing an additional 840,064 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

International Business Machines stock traded down $3.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $250.03. The company had a trading volume of 9,664,181 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,033,579. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52 week low of $181.81 and a 52 week high of $296.16. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $277.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $257.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $232.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The technology company reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.65 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.62% and a net margin of 9.11%. The company had revenue of $16.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.43 EPS. International Business Machines's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the company. Wedbush increased their target price on International Business Machines from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, June 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on International Business Machines from $270.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on International Business Machines from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. Bank of America dropped their price target on International Business Machines from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on International Business Machines from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $268.75.

International Business Machines Company 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.