International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 1.8% – Time to Buy?

Shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) rose 1.8% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $250.85 and last traded at $249.71. Approximately 6,075,229 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 0% from the average daily volume of 6,093,992 shares. The stock had previously closed at $245.28.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Oppenheimer set a $380.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $320.87.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $234.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $284.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $284.29.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.33 by $0.19. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 38.15%. The business had revenue of $19.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.92 EPS. International Business Machines’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be given a $1.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, Director David N. Farr acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $304.00 per share, for a total transaction of $304,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,258 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,814,432. This trade represents a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michael Miebach bought 434 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $233.33 per share, with a total value of $101,265.22. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 434 shares in the company, valued at $101,265.22. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have purchased a total of 1,484 shares of company stock worth $417,157 in the last ninety days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 12.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 21,011 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,619,000 after purchasing an additional 2,323 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,938 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $571,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in International Business Machines by 17.6% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,081 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Connable Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,777,000. Finally, Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA boosted its holdings in International Business Machines by 0.9% during the second quarter. Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA now owns 6,947 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,048,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

About International Business Machines

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.