Handelsbanken Fonder AB Purchases 43,107 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 13.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 355,742 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,107 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $78,203,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in International Business Machines by 1,054.5% during the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 127 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Avondale Wealth Management increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 156 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in International Business Machines by 134.3% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

International Business Machines Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $263.98 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The company has a market capitalization of $244.08 billion, a PE ratio of 41.18, a P/E/G ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 0.76. International Business Machines Co. has a 12-month low of $162.62 and a 12-month high of $265.72. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $234.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $220.96.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last announced 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 net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 38.99%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.53%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on International Business Machines from $217.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, International Business Machines presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $231.44.

About International Business Machines

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.