International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Down 1.1% – Time to Sell?

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) were down 1.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $251.89 and last traded at $255.41. Approximately 1,501,805 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average daily volume of 4,321,302 shares. The stock had previously closed at $258.27.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on IBM. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com cut International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $225.53.

International Business Machines Trading Down 0.8 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $225.96 and a 200 day moving average of $213.86. The company has a market capitalization of $236.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.82, a PEG ratio of 4.25 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 40.37%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.61%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.21%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was 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. The trade was a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc now owns 10,425 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,292,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 2,049 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $453,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 3,123 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $687,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 4.0% in the third quarter. Goldstein Advisors LLC now owns 1,217 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vertex Planning Partners LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 3.6% in the third quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by 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.