International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Shares Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shares rose 1.8% on Wednesday after Bank of America raised their price target on the stock from $315.00 to $335.00. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. International Business Machines traded as high as $309.19 and last traded at $308.6110. Approximately 3,768,813 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average daily volume of 3,643,441 shares. The stock had previously closed at $303.16.

IBM has been the topic of several other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $300.00 to $360.00 in a research note on Monday, January 5th. UBS Group reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Friday, November 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $360.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $303.38.

International Business Machines News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: IBM launched “IBM Sovereign Core,” billed as the industry’s first AI‑ready sovereign-enabled software for enterprises, governments and service providers — a product that could unlock new regulated/government contracts and position IBM in the growing market for data‑sovereignty and secure AI deployments. IBM Introduces New Software to Address Growing Digital Sovereignty Imperative
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America analyst sees upside for IBM and expects the stock to rise — analyst buy/upgrade momentum can spur short‑term inflows and supports valuation sentiment. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Bank of America Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Industry coverage highlights IBM as a beneficiary of demand for integrated solutions and multi‑cloud adoption, reinforcing the company’s positioning in hybrid cloud and infrastructure services. This thematic tailwind could support revenue momentum over time. 4 Stocks to Watch From a Prospering Technology Solutions Industry
• Neutral Sentiment: IBM scheduled its Q4 2025 results and conference call for Jan. 28 — an event that could trigger larger moves depending on guidance and AI/Cloud segment metrics. IBM to Announce Fourth-Quarter 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst note roundup and market commentary show mixed near‑term views: IBM has been trending among analysts but has short‑term pullbacks; monitor revisions and consensus estimates ahead of earnings. International Business Machines Stock Trending Among Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces on IBM’s global IT presence and analyst insight summaries offer background on strategy and competitive positioning but contain limited immediate market-moving detail. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) s&p 500 today Global IT Presence
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons to Microsoft emphasize MSFT’s stronger AI momentum and growth outlook, a narrative that can pressure IBM’s relative valuation and investor preference in the AI/cloud race. IBM vs. MSFT: Which Cloud & AI Tech Giant is a Better Buy?

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of International Business Machines in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,011,122,000. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in International Business Machines by 13.9% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 17,045,156 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,809,461,000 after purchasing an additional 2,077,506 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in International Business Machines by 2.1% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 95,051,475 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,019,274,000 after buying an additional 1,913,708 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in International Business Machines by 27,928.2% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,903,116 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $561,001,000 after buying an additional 1,896,326 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 39.6% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,052,880 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $861,401,000 after buying an additional 865,253 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $303.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $282.42. The stock has a market cap of $278.44 billion, a PE ratio of 35.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.70.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.20. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 37.76% and a net margin of 12.09%.The business had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.30 EPS. International Business Machines’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, November 10th were paid a $1.68 dividend. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. International Business Machines’s payout ratio is presently 80.38%.

About International Business Machines

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.