Wealth Management Strategies Inc. Makes New Investment in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Wealth Management Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,306 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $507,000. International Business Machines accounts for about 0.4% of Wealth Management Strategies Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 413.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 11,984,609 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,634,577,000 after buying an additional 9,650,534 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $1,236,176,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at $592,746,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,845,993 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,384,275,000 after acquiring an additional 1,704,209 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,839,252 shares of the technology company's stock worth $20,189,023,000 after acquiring an additional 1,539,888 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on International Business Machines from $237.00 to $233.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer started coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 target price for the company. Finally, KGI Securities set a $242.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $249.06.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of IBM opened at $258.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm has a market cap of $240.52 billion, a PE ratio of 40.37, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $245.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $238.19. International Business Machines Co. has a 12 month low of $163.53 and a 12 month high of $269.28.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $14.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.41 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. The company's revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.68 per share. This is a positive change from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.60%. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 115.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

International Business Machines 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.

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