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International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
NYSE:IBM
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International Business Machines (IBM) AI Stock Analysis

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IBM

International Business Machines

(NYSE:IBM)

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Neutral 63 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:63Neutral
Price Target:
$246.00
â–¼(-2.95% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:05/02/26
The score is driven primarily by solid financial performance (strong margins and free cash flow) and a constructive earnings outlook with reiterated 2026 growth/FCF guidance. These positives are tempered by balance-sheet leverage risk, weak technical trends with the stock trading below major moving averages, and a high P/E that limits valuation support despite a ~2.9% dividend yield.
Positive Factors
Strong free cash flow generation
Consistent high free cash flow (TTM ~$13.1B) and strong operating cash flow provide durable internal funding for R&D, M&A, dividends and buybacks. This cash conversion supports strategic investments and capital returns even if top-line growth is modest, improving long-term resilience.
Negative Factors
Elevated leverage
High leverage (debt-to-equity >2x) constrains financial flexibility and increases refinancing and interest-rate risk. Even with strong cash flow, elevated debt can limit capacity for opportunistic M&A or buffers during macro stress, and raises the stakes on execution to sustain rating and cost advantages.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong free cash flow generation
Consistent high free cash flow (TTM ~$13.1B) and strong operating cash flow provide durable internal funding for R&D, M&A, dividends and buybacks. This cash conversion supports strategic investments and capital returns even if top-line growth is modest, improving long-term resilience.
Read all positive factors

International Business Machines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Breaks down IBM’s sales across its various divisions, showcasing which segments are growing and contributing most to overall revenue.
Chart InsightsIBM's revenue growth in Q3 2025 is impressive, with Software and Infrastructure segments showing notable acceleration. Software's 9% growth, driven by automation, and Infrastructure's 15% growth, fueled by the z17 platform, highlight IBM's strategic focus on AI and hybrid cloud. Consulting's modest 2% growth reflects increasing demand for AI services. Despite challenges in transaction processing and Red Hat growth, IBM's raised full-year revenue and cash flow expectations signal a strong outlook, supported by significant margin expansion and robust free cash flow generation.
Data provided by:The Fly

International Business Machines (IBM) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

International Business Machines Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
International Business Machines Corporation provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through four business segments: Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing. The Software segment offers hybrid cloud pl...
How the Company Makes Money
IBM primarily makes money by selling enterprise software subscriptions and support, billing for consulting and delivery services, and generating revenue from infrastructure-related offerings. A major revenue stream is Software, which includes subs...

International Business Machines Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Apr 22, 2026
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jul 22, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call portrays a predominantly positive operational and financial performance: broad-based revenue growth (6%), strong software and data momentum (software +8%, data +16%, ARR +10%), record first-quarter free cash flow (+13%), and margin expansion (operating pretax margin +140 bps). Strategic moves (Confluent close, Red Hat/OpenShift scale, IBM Z AI capabilities, IBM Bob GA, quantum progress) reinforce the software-led, hybrid cloud and AI narrative. Near-term negatives are manageable: consulting margin softness, an expected low-single-digit decline in infrastructure revenue for the year, Confluent-related dilution (~$600M) and macro/supply chain uncertainties that prompted conservative guidance posture. On balance, the positive metrics, clear AI-driven demand tailwinds, and reiterated 5%+ revenue and ~$1B free cash flow growth guidance outweigh the listed challenges.
Positive Updates
Top-line Growth
Total revenue grew 6% in Q1 FY2026, driven by strong performance across software and infrastructure.
Negative Updates
Consulting Margin Pressure
Consulting segment profit margin declined modestly due to currency headwinds from geographic mix and reinvestment of productivity gains.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Negative
Top-line Growth
Total revenue grew 6% in Q1 FY2026, driven by strong performance across software and infrastructure.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
IBM maintained its 2026 guidance, saying it remains confident it can deliver constant‑currency revenue growth of 5%+ and grow free cash flow by about $1.0 billion year‑over‑year, while expecting software to accelerate to 10%+ growth for the year, consulting to accelerate to low‑ to mid‑single‑digit revenue growth, and infrastructure revenue to be down low‑single‑digits (about a 0.5‑point headwind to consolidated revenue). Management expects operating pretax margin expansion of roughly 1 percentage point for the year (with ~50 basis points of pretax margin expansion in Q2), an operating tax rate in the mid‑teens (Q2 also mid‑teens), and cautioned it will absorb roughly $600 million of dilution from the early Confluent close in 2026, but said cost‑synergy actions and productivity should keep them on track for the margin and free‑cash‑flow targets despite headwinds from higher cash taxes, higher CapEx and higher net interest expense.

International Business Machines Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong current profitability and solid cash generation (TTM net margin ~15.7%; TTM FCF ~$13.1B) support the score, but it is held back by modest revenue growth (~2% TTM) and elevated leverage (debt-to-equity ~2.06x; OCF-to-debt ~0.34).
Income Statement
78
Positive
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
Cash Flow
72
Positive
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue68.91B67.53B62.75B61.86B60.53B57.35B
Gross Profit40.64B40.19B35.55B34.30B32.69B31.49B
EBITDA16.32B17.28B12.18B14.69B7.17B12.41B
Net Income10.75B10.59B6.02B7.50B1.64B5.74B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets156.23B151.88B137.18B135.24B127.24B132.00B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments11.78B14.47B14.59B13.44B8.74B7.25B
Total Debt70.60B67.15B58.40B59.94B54.01B55.14B
Total Liabilities123.17B119.14B109.78B112.63B105.22B113.00B
Stockholders Equity32.97B32.65B27.31B22.53B21.94B18.90B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow13.09B11.57B11.76B12.12B8.46B10.03B
Operating Cash Flow13.99B13.19B13.45B13.93B10.44B12.80B
Investing Cash Flow-7.81B-10.30B-4.94B-7.07B-4.20B-5.97B
Financing Cash Flow-6.55B-3.83B-7.08B-1.77B-4.96B-13.35B

International Business Machines Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price253.47
Price Trends
50DMA
236.40
Positive
100DMA
256.47
Negative
200DMA
266.53
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-2.20
Negative
RSI
66.41
Neutral
STOCH
72.87
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For IBM, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 253.47 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 226.50, above the 50-day MA of 236.40, and below the 200-day MA of 266.53, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -2.20 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 66.41 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 72.87 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for IBM.

International Business Machines Risk Analysis

International Business Machines disclosed 25 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. International Business Machines reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

International Business Machines Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
74
Outperform
$110.03B17.3124.82%2.25%7.27%0.49%
73
Outperform
$24.79B11.0514.79%1.46%6.55%-3.10%
73
Outperform
$50.07B14.6831.77%2.58%4.85%6.19%
66
Neutral
$21.89B14.8215.03%2.78%-0.55%-3.97%
63
Neutral
$237.76B46.7735.54%2.21%9.67%94.28%
61
Neutral
$37.18B12.37-10.20%1.83%8.50%-7.62%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
IBM
International Business Machines
253.84
1.66
0.66%
ACN
Accenture
179.24
-122.47
-40.59%
CTSH
Cognizant
52.75
-24.73
-31.92%
INFY
Infosys
12.67
-5.00
-28.28%
WIT
Wipro
2.01
-0.74
-26.80%

International Business Machines Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyShareholder Meetings
IBM Shareholders Endorse Board, Pay and Incentive Plan
Positive
May 1, 2026
IBM shareholders met on April 28, 2026, and re-elected all nominees to the board of directors for one-year terms, with most directors receiving strong majority support, though veteran director Andrew N. Liveris drew a comparatively higher level of...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: May 02, 2026