International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 0.4% - Time to Sell?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 0.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $265.15 and last traded at $265.57. Approximately 848,849 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily volume of 4,844,134 shares. The stock had previously closed at $266.68.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

IBM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $276.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. KGI Securities set a $242.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $249.06.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average price is $244.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $237.11. 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 capitalization of $247.93 billion, a PE ratio of 41.62, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64.

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

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $1.68 dividend. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. This is a positive change from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. International Business Machines's payout ratio is presently 115.66%.

Insider Activity at International Business Machines

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of IBM. Tallon Kerry Patrick bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $902,000. Cascade Investment Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Cascade Investment Group Inc. now owns 6,108 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,343,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the period. RoundAngle Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $1,847,000. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC increased its stake in International Business Machines by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC now owns 10,844 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $2,384,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in International Business Machines by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,577 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $3,423,000 after acquiring an additional 787 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company's stock.

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.