Optimize Financial Inc Takes Position in International Business Machines Corporation $IBM

Optimize Financial Inc acquired a new position in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 5,553 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,567,000. International Business Machines makes up about 0.8% of Optimize Financial Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Savant Capital LLC raised its position in International Business Machines by 4.1% in the third quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 62,238 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $17,561,000 after acquiring an additional 2,456 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 52,177 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $14,722,000 after purchasing an additional 2,783 shares in the last quarter. Baker Boyer National Bank raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Baker Boyer National Bank now owns 1,916 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $541,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Bank of Marin lifted its position in International Business Machines by 7.3% during the third quarter. Bank of Marin now owns 1,661 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.3% during the third quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 36,933 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $10,421,000 after purchasing an additional 817 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Argus set a $360.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Friday. Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $304.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $330.07.

Trending Headlines about International Business Machines

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat outlook prompted analyst raises and ETF interest, supporting near-term demand for IBM shares. ETFs to Watch as IBM Shares Jump Following Q4 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms (Bernstein, Stifel and others) raised price targets after the quarter, indicating continued analyst conviction despite differing target levels. Bernstein and Stifel Lift IBM Price Targets After Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company push into enterprise AI and software is being highlighted as a durable growth driver, including board additions that strengthen go-to-market/enterprise relationships. IBM Deepens Enterprise AI Push As Board Adds PepsiCo Chief
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces argue IBM’s software mix is reframing its market story and supporting higher-margin growth potential, a multi-quarter thematic tailwind. How Software Reframed IBM’s Market Story in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Large federal and defense contracts (including a UK defence modernization deal) add recurring, high-margin revenue visibility and de-risk longer-term growth. Can IBM’s Lucrative Federal Contracts Boost Its Future Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is a mixed signal: some analysts raise targets while others (and valuation studies) say upside is already priced in — creating divergent views that increase volatility. Assessing IBM (IBM) Valuation After Recent Share Price Strength And Mixed Fair Value Signals
• Neutral Sentiment: Interest from funds and institutional moves are notable (mixed additions and trims), which can amplify intraday swings but don’t yet signal a directional change in fundamentals. $IBM stock is up 2% today. Here’s what we see in our data.
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term initiatives (quantum computing pilot projects, international revenue trends) are constructive but represent multi-year upside rather than near-term catalysts. Quantum Computing News: How Defense, IBM, and Wall Street Are Testing Real World Use
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and coverage explicitly warn the stock is approaching full valuation despite the beat, and at least one firm maintains a low target — a reason for profit-taking and the pullback today. Bernstein raises International Business Machines (IBM) target but flags full valuation after Q4 beat

International Business Machines Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE IBM opened at $294.73 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $275.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.43, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.69. International Business Machines Corporation has a 52-week low of $214.50 and a 52-week high of $324.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $302.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $283.45.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.33 by $0.19. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 38.15%. The business had revenue of $19.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.92 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.68 per share. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.27%.

Insider Transactions at International Business Machines

In other news, Director David N. Farr acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $304.00 per share, with a total value of $304,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,258 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,814,432. The trade was a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.