International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Down 1.2% – Time to Sell?

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBMGet Free Report) dropped 1.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $229.90 and last traded at $231.12. Approximately 3,207,106 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 7,858,880 shares. The stock had previously closed at $233.87.

Key Stories Impacting International Business Machines

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

  • Positive Sentiment: IBM’s acquisition of HRL Laboratories adds silicon-spin qubit, materials and manufacturing expertise that could help the company develop more scalable quantum-computing systems. Analysts also point to upcoming quantum catalysts, while Susquehanna raised its IBM price target to $235. Can IBM’s HRL Acquisition Boost Its Quantum Computing Capabilities?
  • Positive Sentiment: A new market report identifies IBM as a leading provider of enterprise blockchain platforms and Blockchain-as-a-Service, suggesting potential exposure to growth in cloud-native digital infrastructure and enterprise blockchain adoption. IBM Emerges as a Leading Enterprise Blockchain Provider
  • Neutral Sentiment: Technical analysts say IBM remains in a longer-term uptrend, but the stock must break above approximately $239 resistance to signal renewed upward momentum. Its recent weakness and underperformance versus the S&P 500 leave the near-term direction uncertain. Stock of the Day: Will IBM Break Out and Head Higher?
  • Negative Sentiment: Investor concerns include AI-driven disruption to IBM’s legacy services, pricing pressure and declining earnings estimates. The company’s latest quarterly revenue also missed consensus expectations, reinforcing worries about slower growth. IBM Slumps 21% YTD: Time to Reassess the Stock?
  • Negative Sentiment: A securities law firm announced an investigation into whether IBM made materially misleading disclosures before its decline. The announcement is an allegation, not a finding of wrongdoing, but it adds reputational and legal uncertainty. IBM Securities Fraud Investigation Announcement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on IBM shares. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $230.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $290.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Wedbush set a $350.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $265.90.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on IBM

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $217.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.70. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $244.18 and its 200 day moving average is $247.91.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBMGet Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.52% and a return on equity of 35.65%. The company had revenue of $17.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.46 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total transaction of $5,758,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 47,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,009,296. This trade represents a 34.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Hara Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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