International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Down 1.4% – Time to Sell?

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) shares traded down 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $220.35 and last traded at $221.16. 923,497 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average session volume of 3,275,659 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $208.00 to $222.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. UBS Group increased their target price on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Bernstein Bank upped their price target on International Business Machines from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $220.73.

International Business Machines Stock Down 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company has a 50-day moving average of $223.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $212.00. The company has a market capitalization of $207.75 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71, a P/E/G ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $2.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.03. International Business Machines had a net margin of 10.22% and a return on equity of 40.52%. The company had revenue of $14.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.20 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is 97.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total transaction of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,463,928. This trade represents a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in shares of 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 valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 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, Modus Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.