Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC Lowers Holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,153 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 144 shares during the quarter. Lodestar Private Asset Management LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $473,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 134.3% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

IBM stock opened at $253.30 on Friday. International Business Machines Co. has a twelve month low of $162.62 and a twelve month high of $265.72. The firm has a market cap of $234.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.52, a PEG ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.76. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $228.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $216.19. 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 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.73 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.64%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 104.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on IBM shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $225.53.

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.