Plato Investment Management Ltd Makes New $5.45 Million Investment in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 19,502 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,452,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in International Business Machines during the second quarter worth about $217,000. AMG National Trust Bank purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,832,000. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,260,000. Cura Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at approximately $8,353,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on IBM shares. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on International Business Machines from $293.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Wedbush set a $350.00 price target on International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on International Business Machines from $290.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $270.00 price objective on International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered shares of International Business Machines from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $265.90.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In related news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $230.32, for a total transaction of $5,758,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 47,800 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,009,296. This represents a 34.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Down 1.2%

International Business Machines stock opened at $231.12 on Wednesday. International Business Machines Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $199.19 and a fifty-two week high of $332.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $243.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $247.61. The company has a market capitalization of $217.75 billion, a PE ratio of 20.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.70.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.The company had revenue of $17.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.80 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.33 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 Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $1.69 dividend. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is currently 59.98%.

International Business Machines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s acquisition of HRL Laboratories adds silicon-spin qubit, materials and manufacturing expertise that could improve its ability to develop scalable quantum-computing systems. Analysts cited upcoming quantum catalysts, and Susquehanna raised its price target to $235, although it maintained a cautious view. Can IBM’s HRL Acquisition Boost Its Quantum Computing Capabilities?
• Positive Sentiment: A technical analysis article said IBM remains in a longer-term uptrend and could resume advancing if shares clear resistance near $239. A breakout would signal improved buying momentum, though this is a technical rather than fundamental catalyst. Stock of the Day: Will IBM Break Out and Head Higher?
• Neutral Sentiment: New market reports identify IBM as a participant in expanding enterprise blockchain, UNIX, business service management, computer-based sensing, biological computing and high-throughput computing markets. These reports point to broad industry growth but provide limited evidence of immediate revenue or earnings impact for IBM. IBM Emerges as a Leading Enterprise Blockchain Provider
• Negative Sentiment: IBM’s reported year-to-date decline reflects concerns about AI-driven disruption to legacy services, pricing pressure and downward earnings estimates. Hybrid cloud and watsonx remain potential offsets, but investors are questioning whether growth in those businesses can compensate for weakness elsewhere. IBM Slumps 21% YTD: Time to Reassess the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage also highlighted IBM’s revenue miss, which contributed to a sharp selloff, and noted that the stock has underperformed the S&P 500. A pending securities-fraud investigation and a senior executive’s multimillion-dollar stock sale add further overhang, although neither necessarily changes IBM’s underlying business outlook. IBM Securities Fraud Investigation

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.