Wealth Management Strategies Inc. Makes New $507,000 Investment in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Wealth Management Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 2,306 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $507,000. International Business Machines makes up 0.4% of Wealth Management Strategies Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 1,539,888 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 20,909,646 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,589,145,000 after purchasing an additional 427,499 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 413.5% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 11,984,609 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $2,634,577,000 after purchasing an additional 9,650,534 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,845,993 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,384,275,000 after buying an additional 1,704,209 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in International Business Machines by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 8,112,092 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,783,281,000 after purchasing an additional 722,582 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $170.00 target price (up from $160.00) on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. KGI Securities set a $242.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on International Business Machines from $276.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer assumed coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $249.06.

Insider Activity at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at $11,387,221.07. This represents a 37.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Price Performance

International Business Machines stock opened at $258.79 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $245.13 and a 200-day moving average of $238.19. International Business Machines Co. has a 52-week low of $163.53 and a 52-week high of $269.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $240.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.37, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.64.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The technology company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.18. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. The firm had revenue of $14.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.41 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $1.68 dividend. 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 (DPR) is 115.66%.

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.