International Business Machines Corporation $IBM Shares Bought by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) by 4.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 132,453 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,622 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $32,105,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Family CFO Inc acquired a new position in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Joseph Group Capital Management bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, SWAN Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on IBM. Oppenheimer lowered International Business Machines from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $320.00 to $260.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $303.00 to $225.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $265.40.

International Business Machines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBM’s blockchain intellectual property attracted a strategic buyer. Circle is acquiring more than 680 patent families, representing nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide, covering blockchain, banking, insurance, enterprise infrastructure and supply-chain applications. The transaction validates IBM’s technology portfolio and could provide proceeds while allowing Circle to expand its USDC stablecoin and payments businesses. Financial terms were not disclosed. USDC issuer Circle to acquire nearly 1,000 IBM blockchain patents
• Neutral Sentiment: The patent deal appears strategically positive but has limited immediate financial visibility. Coverage highlights IBM’s role in blockchain infrastructure and Circle’s view that the acquisition creates a leading U.S. blockchain patent position. However, IBM did not disclose the purchase price, so investors cannot yet assess the transaction’s near-term earnings or cash-flow impact. Circle Buys IBM’s Blockchain Patents to Boost Payments Network
• Negative Sentiment: Legal and operating concerns continue to weigh on IBM’s investment case. Bleichmar Fonti & Auld announced an investigation into potential securities-fraud claims following IBM’s recent stock decline and disclosures involving a deal shortfall and slower product momentum. The investigation is an allegation, not a finding of wrongdoing, but it adds headline and litigation risk. IBM Investigation: BFA Law Reviews Potential Securities Fraud Claims
• Negative Sentiment: Recent earnings commentary remains a key overhang. IBM’s latest quarter matched adjusted EPS expectations but revenue came in below consensus, while management acknowledged execution problems and a slowdown in products. Reports also point to customers directing more AI budgets toward hardware, raising questions about IBM’s ability to capture growth from enterprise AI spending. IBM Survived One AI Scare in February. This One Might Be Different.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of International Business Machines stock opened at $215.93 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $262.78 and a 200-day moving average of $259.65. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52-week low of $199.19 and a 52-week high of $332.46. The stock has a market cap of $202.95 billion, a PE ratio of 19.16, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.79.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The technology company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93. The business had revenue of $17.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.46 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 35.65% and a net margin of 15.52%.International Business Machines’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.80 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Corporation will post 12.34 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.69 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $6.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.98%.

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.