Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Sells 22,175 Shares of International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA sold 22,175 shares of IBM in Q4 (a 7.7% reduction), leaving it with 265,968 shares valued at about $78.78 million.
• Several large institutions materially increased IBM stakes — including Capital World Investors, First Trust, Franklin Resources, Amundi and Vanguard — and institutional investors now own roughly 58.96% of the company.
• Analyst views are mixed: the consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $309.63 target despite recent downgrades and cuts (BMO to $290), while IBM recently beat quarterly EPS/revenue and pays a $1.68 quarterly dividend (≈2.8% yield).

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lowered its holdings in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 265,968 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 22,175 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $78,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of IBM. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 13.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,045,156 shares of the technology company's stock worth $4,809,461,000 after buying an additional 2,077,506 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 39.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,052,880 shares of the technology company's stock worth $861,401,000 after buying an additional 865,253 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 64.7% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,162,741 shares of the technology company's stock worth $610,239,000 after buying an additional 849,500 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 17.9% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 4,777,516 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,382,695,000 after buying an additional 725,191 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,776,307 shares of the technology company's stock worth $27,024,243,000 after buying an additional 724,832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on IBM. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Argus set a $360.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $350.00 to $290.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $309.63.

More International Business Machines News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and market reports expect IBM to report an in-line Q1 on April 22, with the early March close of the Confluent acquisition contributing roughly $50M of revenue and helping offset near-term dilution — supportive for near-term revenue and full‑year guidance.IBM set for in-line Q1 as Confluent deal boosts outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Product/AI momentum: IBM is rolling out "content-aware storage" aimed at solving large AI data management issues — this is strategically aligned with enterprise AI demand and could support longer-term growth and margins if adopted.How IBM Is Solving One of AI’s Biggest Data Problems
• Positive Sentiment: Marketing/partnership PR: IBM provided AI tools for the Masters fan experience, reinforcing IBM's positioning in high‑visibility AI deployments and brand exposure.IBM Rewrites the Masters Fan Experience With AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Research/coverage moves: Citigroup started coverage on IBM and other outlets note elevated investor attention; coverage changes can shift flows but are informational until the firm updates guidance or estimates.International Business Machines NYSE: IBM Research Coverage Started at Citigroup
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional index activity: Reports note shifts in institutional activity within the Russell 1000 — can affect short-term flows but not fundamentals.IBM NYSE: IBM Sees Institutional Activity Shift in Russell 1000
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/settlement headwind: IBM agreed to pay $17M to settle a DOJ probe alleging unlawful DEI hiring and use of government contract funds — the payment is modest relative to market cap but carries reputational and compliance risk that may weigh on sentiment short term.IBM strikes $17M deal to end feds’ probe of DEI programs
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution: Needham cut price targets ahead of earnings, reflecting macro pressure and tempered expectations for upside — analyst downgrades can pressure the stock if sustained.Why Needham Analysts Slashed Their Price Targets on IBM Stock Ahead of Earnings

International Business Machines Stock Up 3.1%

IBM stock opened at $237.83 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $252.70 and a 200 day moving average of $282.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $223.09 billion, a PE ratio of 21.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52 week low of $220.72 and a 52 week high of $324.90.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.33 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $19.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.23 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 38.15%. International Business Machines's revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.92 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were given a dividend of $1.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Business Machines news, Director Michael Miebach purchased 434 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $233.33 per share, with a total value of $101,265.22. Following the transaction, the director owned 434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $101,265.22. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $304.00 per share, with a total value of $304,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,258 shares in the company, valued at $2,814,432. The trade was a 12.11% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired a total of 1,484 shares of company stock valued at $417,157 over the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

International Business Machines Company Profile

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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