International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Trading 2.1% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM)’s share price traded up 2.1% during trading on Wednesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $290.00 to $312.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. International Business Machines traded as high as $297.67 and last traded at $297.5090. 5,157,603 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the average session volume of 4,433,935 shares. The stock had previously closed at $291.35.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $300.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. UBS Group restated a “sell” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $315.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Friday, November 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $360.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $306.86.

International Business Machines News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target for IBM from $290 to $312, signaling more upside potential even as the firm keeps a “neutral” rating — this boosts short-term sentiment around the stock. IBM price target raised by JPMorgan (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: DBS Bank upgraded IBM from “hold” to “moderate buy,” adding another buy-side nod that can support momentum and flows into the shares. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Rating Upgraded by Dbs Bank
• Positive Sentiment: IBM unveiled and is pushing a new enterprise AI platform (watsonx) aimed at accelerating sales to large customers — product launches and clearer go-to-market messaging can justify premium multiples if adoption accelerates. What International Business Machines (IBM)’s New Enterprise AI Platform Push Means For Shareholders (Yahoo)
• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships and use-cases are expanding: IBM announced an agentic AI collaboration with e& to target compliance/risk use cases, and launched watsonx-based digital experiences with the Recording Academy — both extend addressable market and showcase customer traction. Can IBM’s Agentic AI Collaboration With e& Boost Its Global Lead? (Zacks) IBM and the Recording Academy Release watsonx Digital Experiences (PR Newswire)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and commentary pieces are framing IBM as an AI growth story rather than a legacy hardware name, which supports a re-rating narrative if execution continues. IBM Was ‘Boring’ – It’s Now An AI Growth Machine (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Arvind Krishna discussed absorbing tariffs rather than passing them to clients, underscoring a client-first stance but with modest margin implications — supportive for customer relations but neutral for near-term margins. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna interview (YouTube)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentators and an investment committee highlighted IBM as a top watch for H2; useful for sentiment but not a substitute for earnings and guidance. Final Trades: IBM, Alibaba, Nu Holdings and the IYH (YouTube)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple previews note the Jan. 28 Q4 earnings date — AI and z17 mainframe cycle expectations could be the main drivers of post-earnings movement. Mark Your Calendars for January 28 (Barchart)
• Negative Sentiment: IBM suffered a notable one-day drop recently, signaling short-term volatility and profit-taking ahead of earnings. IBM Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and articles flag a premium valuation and stiff competition; if AI revenue growth slows or guidance disappoints, the stock could reprice quickly. Q4 Earnings Loom: Buy, Sell or Hold? (Zacks)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $858,000. BIP Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 37.3% during the fourth quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 4,336 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178 shares in the last quarter. Master S Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter worth about $305,000. C2C Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. C2C Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $5,484,000 after buying an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CCG Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in International Business Machines by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. CCG Wealth Management LLC now owns 776 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Trading Up 2.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $278.09 billion, a PE ratio of 35.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $302.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $282.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.93.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.10 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 12.09% and a return on equity of 37.76%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.30 EPS. Analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

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.