Old North State Trust LLC Buys Shares of 10,595 International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Old North State Trust LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 10,595 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,979,000. International Business Machines makes up approximately 1.5% of Old North State Trust LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in International Business Machines in the first quarter worth $26,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the second quarter worth $27,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about International Business Machines

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IBM and Lockheed Martin announced a quantum innovation hub at ETH Zurich, supported by Switzerland’s defense-procurement offset program. The initiative will deploy Switzerland’s first IBM Quantum System Two at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre, giving IBM a multi-year platform for quantum-computing research in areas such as sensing and advanced materials. IBM and Lockheed Martin Announce Swiss Quantum Innovation Hub
• Positive Sentiment: IBM and NASA released an open-source Lunar Foundation Model trained on extensive lunar-observation data. The model reportedly improves identification of lunar features, including potential ice deposits and craters, highlighting IBM’s AI capabilities and government-research relationships, although the near-term revenue impact is likely limited. IBM and NASA Release Open-Source AI Model
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary continues to identify IBM as an established-company route to AI and quantum exposure, supported by its hybrid-cloud, enterprise-software and consulting businesses. A Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM team was also named a finalist for the ACM Gordon Bell Prize for quantum-centric supercomputing research. IBM Team Advances to Gordon Bell Prize Finals
• Neutral Sentiment: A shareholder-rights law firm announced an investigation into IBM related to its previously previewed second-quarter results. Such notices are often solicitation-driven and do not establish wrongdoing, but they can add headline and legal-risk pressure. Law Firm Investigation Report
• Negative Sentiment: IBM’s latest quarterly results showed earnings in line with estimates but revenue below expectations, reinforcing concerns that growth is modest. Analysts also continue to view competing AI-cloud names as having stronger near-term growth and momentum.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on IBM’s earlier AI-security investment and whether related partnerships will translate into durable software revenue. Those questions, combined with a premium valuation and broader-market weakness, appear to have outweighed the longer-term quantum and AI announcements. IBM AI Security Investment

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on IBM shares. Susquehanna boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded International Business Machines from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 29th. Piper Sandler raised International Business Machines to an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on International Business Machines from $293.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.90.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of IBM stock opened at $234.06 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $220.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The business has a fifty day moving average of $237.79 and a 200 day moving average of $246.38. International Business Machines Corporation has a 1 year low of $199.19 and a 1 year high of $332.46.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.93. The business had revenue of $17.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.80 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th were given a $1.69 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $6.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.98%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Robert Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total value of $5,758,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 47,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,009,296. This represents a 34.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

About International Business Machines

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company that provides enterprise-focused hardware, software and services. Its offerings include hybrid cloud solutions, artificial intelligence, data and automation software, cybersecurity tools, IT infrastructure and technology consulting.

IBM develops and supports enterprise systems such as IBM Z mainframes, Power servers and storage products. Its software portfolio includes Red Hat hybrid cloud technologies, the watsonx platform for artificial intelligence and data management, application integration tools and cybersecurity solutions.