International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 0.4% Higher Following Dividend Announcement

International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) was up 0.4% on Tuesday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as $225.07 and last traded at $225.10. Approximately 700,976 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 3,461,317 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.13.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.59%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 97.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on IBM shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Bernstein Bank increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. DZ Bank lowered shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $215.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $225.53.

International Business Machines Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $225.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $213.55. The company has a market capitalization of $238.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.78 and a beta of 0.74.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.52% and a net margin of 10.22%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 25,390 shares in the company, valued at $5,463,928. This represents a 12.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% during the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.