Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Invests $5.82 Million in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 26,472 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,819,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of IBM. Capital World Investors boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 413.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 11,984,609 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,634,577,000 after buying an additional 9,650,534 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $1,236,176,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $592,746,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,845,993 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,384,275,000 after buying an additional 1,704,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,839,252 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $20,189,023,000 after buying an additional 1,539,888 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IBM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Erste Group Bank raised shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $248.50.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $258.55 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $243.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $235.35. International Business Machines Co. has a 12-month low of $163.53 and a 12-month high of $266.45. The firm has a market cap of $240.30 billion, a PE ratio of 40.34, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64. 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 announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.18. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The firm had revenue of $14.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a dividend of $1.68 per share. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.60%. This is a positive change from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.67. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 115.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 directly owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About International Business Machines

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.