Stifel Nicolaus Cuts International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Price Target to $290.00

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) had its price target trimmed by Stifel Nicolaus from $340.00 to $290.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on IBM. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $304.00 to $247.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $380.00 target price on International Business Machines and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $309.63.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $230.68 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $254.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $283.02. The company has a market cap of $216.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.69, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.96. International Business Machines has a one year low of $220.72 and a one year high of $324.90.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.33 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $19.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.23 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.15% and a net margin of 15.69%.International Business Machines’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.92 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a dividend of $1.68 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.27%.

Insider Activity

In other International Business Machines news, Director Michael Miebach bought 434 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $233.33 per share, for a total transaction of $101,265.22. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $101,265.22. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director David N. Farr bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $304.00 per share, with a total value of $304,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 9,258 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought 1,484 shares of company stock valued at $417,157 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $465,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $817,000. Cornerstone Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $4,366,000. Forty three Eighteen Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth about $2,063,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 20.3% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 564,188 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $167,118,000 after purchasing an additional 95,065 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting International Business Machines

Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citi initiated coverage with a Buy and a $285 price target, arguing IBM has meaningful AI growth potential plus upside from its mainframe and quantum businesses — the call highlights a ~23% upside vs. current levels. Citi Analyst Upgrades IBM (IBM) Stock with $285 Target on AI Growth Potential
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets and analysts echoed a bullish view (Barron’s, TipRanks/MSN coverage), noting IBM’s ability to navigate technology cycles and the potential for earnings leverage from AI and enterprise offerings — these narratives support longer-term upside despite 2026 weakness. IBM Stock Is Having Its Worst Year Since 2002. Here’s Why It Just Got a Buy Rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM is participating in industry moves around AI patent sharing (the SAIL initiative), which could reshape competitive dynamics and reduce friction for model development — a longer‑term strategic development that may affect moat but has uncertain near-term revenue impact. IBM’s SAIL Move Reframes AI Patent Sharing And Long Term Moat
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on quantum computing ETFs and IBM’s expanded quantum roadmap highlights a structural growth story; this is positive for long-term optionality but remains developmental and unlikely to drive near-term earnings. The Quantum Computing ETF That Could Be Bigger Than AI, and 2 Tech Funds Riding the Same Wave
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Justice said IBM will pay $17 million to settle allegations related to discriminatory DEI hiring practices — a reputational and regulatory event that adds near‑term legal cost and scrutiny (though the monetary amount is small relative to revenue). IBM to pay $17 million to settle discrimination allegations, DOJ says
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term technical and sentiment pressure: the stock has underperformed peers recently and faced at least one analyst downgrade and intraday selling, which compounds downside momentum despite bullish reports. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading Down 1.4% Following Analyst Downgrade

International Business Machines Company Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM.

IBM’s principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development.