Welch Group LLC Has $70.31 Million Stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Welch Group LLC decreased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 319,247 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 3,728 shares during the quarter. International Business Machines comprises approximately 3.2% of Welch Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Welch Group LLC’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $70,314,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. boosted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 2,989 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Pennsylvania Capital Management Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter worth approximately $204,000. Longboard Asset Management LP bought a new position in International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at $230,000. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC now owns 2,016 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $443,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,999 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other news, SVP Nickle Jaclyn Lamoreaux sold 3,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.20, for a total value of $774,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on IBM. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $205.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on International Business Machines from $245.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $225.53.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

NYSE:IBM opened at $260.84 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.04. International Business Machines Co. has a fifty-two week low of $162.62 and a fifty-two week high of $262.06. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $226.61 and a 200-day moving average price of $214.76. The firm has a market cap of $241.19 billion, a PE ratio of 40.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.76.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. Equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.73 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 104.21%.

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.