Aviva PLC Increases Holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Aviva PLC increased its position in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 6.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 554,867 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 35,218 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $121,976,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 91,839,252 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $20,189,023,000 after acquiring an additional 1,539,888 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 20,909,646 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,589,145,000 after acquiring an additional 427,499 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,665,256 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,465,223,000 after purchasing an additional 126,547 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,236,176,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $592,746,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of IBM opened at $227.31 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $251.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $232.41. International Business Machines Co. has a 1-year low of $162.62 and a 1-year high of $266.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $210.78 billion, a PE ratio of 35.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.67.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. On average, equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is presently 104.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on IBM shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 15th. Wedbush assumed coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Oppenheimer started coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at International Business Machines

In other International Business Machines news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction 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 approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Company Profile

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.