ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,003 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 156 shares during the quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $3,298,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its holdings in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the fourth quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

International Business Machines Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of International Business Machines stock opened at $224.73 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16. International Business Machines Co. has a twelve month low of $162.62 and a twelve month high of $239.35. The company has a market cap of $207.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $222.87 and its 200 day moving average is $211.14.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The technology company reported $2.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.08 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.52% and a net margin of 10.22%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.20 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.16 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is currently 97.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 25,390 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,463,928. This trade represents a 12.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

IBM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. DZ Bank downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $215.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $220.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 30th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on International Business Machines from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on International Business Machines from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on International Business Machines from $209.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.87.

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.