Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Sells 3,830 Shares of International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Key Points

• Verdence Capital Advisors LLC cut its stake in IBM by 14.8%, selling 3,830 shares and leaving it with 22,075 shares valued at about $6.54 million per its SEC filing.
• IBM beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.91, revenue $15.92B) and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.69 (31st consecutive annual raise), but management reiterated full‑year guidance and the stock saw a sharp post‑earnings selloff amid concerns about near‑term AI monetization.
• Insiders recently bought stock (Director Michael Miebach acquired 434 shares at ~$233.33; Director David N. Farr bought 1,000 shares at $304), while analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target near $300.25.

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC decreased its stake in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 14.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 22,075 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 3,830 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $6,539,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the third quarter worth $852,000. Waverton Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 3.3% in the third quarter. Waverton Investment Management Ltd now owns 993,743 shares of the technology company's stock worth $280,439,000 after buying an additional 32,072 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 30.0% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,122 shares of the technology company's stock worth $3,887,000 after buying an additional 3,029 shares in the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 51.7% in the third quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 114,395 shares of the technology company's stock worth $32,278,000 after buying an additional 38,973 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American National Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 26.2% in the third quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 12,537 shares of the technology company's stock worth $3,537,000 after buying an additional 2,603 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about International Business Machines

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

• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank upgraded IBM to Buy with a $295 price target, giving bullish analyst support and a clear catalyst for buyers. DZ Bank Upgrades IBM to Buy With a $295 Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: IBM unveiled a new AI model aimed at better understanding fusion plasma — a positive long-term innovation narrative that supports IBM’s AI/technology credentials beyond near-term software metrics. IBM’s New AI Model Could Help Unlock Fusion Power
• Positive Sentiment: IBM raised its quarterly dividend to $1.69 (31st consecutive annual raise), which supports income-focused investor demand. What IBM's Q1 Beat and 31st Dividend Hike Mean
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM beat Q1 revenue and EPS estimates (revenue ~$15.9B, EPS $1.91) but management largely reiterated full‑year guidance — the beat removes one concern but the unchanged outlook limits upside momentum. IBM Q1 Deep Dive
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market and sector context (software volatility, geopolitical oil/Strait of Hormuz risks) are contributing background noise that can amplify short-term swings but aren’t IBM‑specific fundamentals. US software stocks slide as IBM, ServiceNow results reignite AI disruption fears
• Negative Sentiment: Investors punished the stock after earnings because software growth was viewed as underwhelming versus AI hype; this sparked a sharp post‑earnings selloff (double‑digit moves intraday in recent sessions). IBM slides 8% as investors digest Q1 beat
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed targets or expressed concern about near‑term AI monetization, including a recent target cut that helped fuel selling pressure. Stock Down After Analyst Target Cut

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In related news, Director Michael Miebach acquired 434 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $233.33 per share, with a total value of $101,265.22. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $101,265.22. This represents a ∞ 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 David N. Farr acquired 1,000 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $304.00 per share, for a total transaction of $304,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 9,258 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,814,432. The trade was a 12.11% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought 1,484 shares of company stock worth $417,157 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on IBM shares. UBS Group upgraded International Business Machines from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $236.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen cut International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Argus set a $360.00 price target on International Business Machines in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America raised their price target on International Business Machines from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on International Business Machines from $370.00 to $320.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $300.25.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE IBM opened at $231.88 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $245.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $280.37. International Business Machines Corporation has a twelve month low of $220.72 and a twelve month high of $324.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The company has a market capitalization of $217.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.50, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.69.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The technology company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.10. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.23% and a net margin of 15.61%.The business had revenue of $15.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.60 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.60 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.69 per share. This represents a $6.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. This is an increase from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 59.77%.

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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