International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Shares Sold by Nicolet Bankshares Inc.

Nicolet Bankshares Inc. cut its stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 52.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,143 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 4,593 shares during the period. Nicolet Bankshares Inc.'s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Business Machines Stock Up 0.4 %

IBM traded up $0.89 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $241.59. 1,848,595 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,205,495. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $248.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $224.02 billion, a PE ratio of 37.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.67. International Business Machines Co. has a 1 year low of $162.62 and a 1 year high of $266.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Erste Group Bank raised International Business Machines from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $276.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wedbush started coverage on International Business Machines in a report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $232.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

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

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.