Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 1,251 Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM)

Securian Asset Management Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 49,695 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,251 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in International Business Machines were worth $10,924,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pettinga Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the third quarter valued at approximately $221,000. United Bank raised its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 53.3% in the 3rd quarter. United Bank now owns 5,628 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,244,000 after acquiring an additional 1,956 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in International Business Machines by 7.4% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 38,478 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $8,507,000 after acquiring an additional 2,640 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 15,326 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,388,000 after buying an additional 3,801 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the third quarter valued at approximately $297,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Robert David Thomas sold 26,543 shares of International Business Machines stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.01, for a total transaction of $6,715,644.43. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 45,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,387,221.07. The trade was a 37.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IBM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised International Business Machines from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Wedbush initiated coverage on International Business Machines in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $233.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on International Business Machines from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $231.44.

International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IBM opened at $249.03 on Wednesday. International Business Machines Co. has a fifty-two week low of $162.62 and a fifty-two week high of $266.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. The company has a market cap of $230.92 billion, a PE ratio of 38.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.74. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $242.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $227.42.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The technology company reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.78 EPS for the current year.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $1.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.68%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio is currently 104.21%.

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.