Larson Financial Group LLC Grows Stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 8.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,986 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares during the quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $3,514,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its stake in International Business Machines by 56.0% during 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 period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.07% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on IBM. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. UBS Group increased their price target on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE IBM opened at $261.67 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $241.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $226.20. International Business Machines Co. has a 52-week low of $162.62 and a 52-week high of $265.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $242.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.82, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (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 38.99%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.55%. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

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.