International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Now Covered by BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm issued an underperform rating and a $145.00 target price on the technology company’s stock.

IBM has been the topic of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $190.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $215.00 to $210.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Societe Generale reiterated a sell rating and issued a $143.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Wedbush increased their price objective on International Business Machines from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $181.29.

International Business Machines Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $165.71 on Thursday. International Business Machines has a 12-month low of $120.55 and a 12-month high of $199.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The firm has a market cap of $152.22 billion, a PE ratio of 18.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $185.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $171.44.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The technology company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.53 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 13.18% and a return on equity of 40.21%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.36 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines will post 9.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a $1.67 dividend. This is an increase from International Business Machines’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.66. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 75.20%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Naples Money Management LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 971.4% during the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 225 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

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.