International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 0.5% Higher

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $166.44 and last traded at $165.50. Approximately 806,684 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 4,946,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $164.69.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on International Business Machines from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore ISI raised International Business Machines from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $165.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Friday, January 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $181.29.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company's 50-day moving average price is $186.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $170.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $152.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.05 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The technology company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.53 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 13.18% and a return on equity of 40.21%. The firm's revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.36 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that International Business Machines Co. will post 9.92 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. This is a boost from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.66. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. International Business Machines's payout ratio is 75.20%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its stake in International Business Machines by 971.4% during the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 225 shares of the technology company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About International Business Machines

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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