Robert David Thomas Sells 26,543 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) Stock

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

International Business Machines Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of International Business Machines stock traded down $2.81 during trading on Thursday, hitting $248.54. 3,252,306 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,893,887. International Business Machines Co. has a 12-month low of $162.62 and a 12-month high of $265.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market cap of $230.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $240.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $225.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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, analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.69%. International Business Machines's dividend payout ratio is presently 104.21%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group raised their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, 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 report on Thursday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $231.44.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. grew its stake in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% in the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.