Optimum Investment Advisors Has $531,000 Stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Optimum Investment Advisors cut its holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 11.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,414 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 312 shares during the period. Optimum Investment Advisors’ holdings in International Business Machines were worth $531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp increased its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 55,671,883 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $12,307,940,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200,803 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake 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 acquiring an additional 126,547 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,195,933 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,148,717,000 after acquiring an additional 294,276 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth $592,746,000. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the third quarter valued at $573,306,000. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of IBM opened at $243.75 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $246.77 and a 200 day moving average of $229.91. The company has a market capitalization of $226.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.03, a PEG ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. International Business Machines Co. has a 12 month low of $162.62 and a 12 month high of $266.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.77 by $0.15. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.99% and a net margin of 9.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on IBM. StockNews.com downgraded International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. 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. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $231.44.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In related 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 value of $6,715,644.43. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 45,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. This trade represents a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.