Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Raises Holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Free Report) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 220,668 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 9,512 shares during the period. International Business Machines makes up approximately 3.1% of Applied Finance Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC's holdings in International Business Machines were worth $36,090,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Roanoke Asset Management Corp NY boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 42.3% during the 4th quarter. Roanoke Asset Management Corp NY now owns 7,575 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $1,239,000 after acquiring an additional 2,250 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in International Business Machines by 96.6% during the 4th quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 38,177 shares of the technology company's stock worth $6,244,000 after buying an additional 18,762 shares during the last quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $110,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,162,000. Finally, American National Bank raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. American National Bank now owns 3,161 shares of the technology company's stock worth $517,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company's stock.

International Business Machines Price Performance

IBM traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $169.03. 2,956,387 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,915,095. International Business Machines Co. has a 1-year low of $125.01 and a 1-year high of $199.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.27 billion, a PE ratio of 19.14, a P/E/G ratio of 4.16 and a beta of 0.74. 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 business's 50-day moving average price is $181.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.19.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The technology company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.53 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.21% and a net margin of 13.18%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.36 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 9.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.95%. This is an increase from International Business Machines's previous quarterly dividend of $1.66. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is currently 75.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on IBM. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on International Business Machines from $186.00 to $179.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $181.29.

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.