International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Rating Increased to Buy at StockNews.com

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

IBM has been the topic of a number of other reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Wedbush initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Trading Down 1.1 %

International Business Machines stock opened at $248.54 on Friday. International Business Machines has a 12 month low of $162.62 and a 12 month high of $265.72. The stock has a market cap of $230.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $240.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $225.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that International Business Machines will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Vision Financial Markets LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Avondale Wealth Management raised its position in International Business Machines by 56.0% in the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. 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.