International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

Over the past six months, International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) stock price has experienced several notable events. From January 13, 2025, to January 9, 2026, the share price increased by 39.94%. The stock was up 38.44% over the past 12 months and down 2.70% over the past 30 days as of January 9, 2026. IBM reported quarterly earnings data on October 22, 2025, with $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) on revenue of $16.33 billion, surpassing analysts' estimates. Bank of America raised its price target for IBM to $335, maintaining a "Buy" rating. Confluent cleared a key U.S. antitrust hurdle related to its deal with IBM. IBM expanded its edge AI offering with Datavault AI. Jim Cramer reiterated that IBM appears inexpensive. In October 2025, IBM shares surged after the company announced new quantum computing capabilities utilizing chips from AMD. On January 13, 2026, IBM shares were down 3% during mid-day trading, closing at $302.8430 after previously closing at $312.18. Oppenheimer initiated coverage with an "outperform" rating and a $360 price objective in November 2025. Wall Street Zen downgraded IBM from "buy" to "hold," while Erste Group Bank upgraded it from "hold" to "buy" in December 2025. Shares fell more than 8% in premarket trading on April 25, 2024, due to pressure on its consulting business from enterprises tightening budgets amid economic uncertainty and high interest rates.

While specific quarterly breakdowns of demand seasonality for all of IBM's diverse products and services are not explicitly detailed, general trends and influences can be observed. Historically, there can be a seasonal slowdown in demand for technology products, with some data suggesting reduced performance for IBM between July 19 and August 25. Conversely, implied volatility for IBM's stock has historically tended to rise most in January and decline to its lowest levels in May. Cloud services offer flexibility and scalability, allowing clients to adjust computing, network bandwidth, and storage capacity to address seasonal or unexpected demand spikes. IBM has seen a boost in software and AI demand, with its software segment experiencing strong revenue growth fueled by AI and cloud infrastructure. Demand for consulting services can be influenced by macroeconomic factors, and IBM has revised its consulting revenue expectations downwards due to clients scaling back discretionary spending. In the past, IBM has experienced falling demand for its storage and server products, impacting hardware revenue. IBM itself utilizes and provides advanced analytics and AI-driven demand forecasting tools that can detect and account for seasonality and trends across various product classes and customer demands.

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is a multinational technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York, founded in 1911. IBM's core business revolves around providing global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting solutions and services. The company develops system hardware and software, and offers infrastructure, hosting, and consulting services. Its major products and services span various areas, including automation, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, blockchain, computer hardware, software, and quantum computing. Key platforms include Watsonx for AI and Red Hat OpenShift for hybrid cloud operations. IBM serves a diverse range of industries, including automotive, banking and financial markets, electronics, energy and utilities, healthcare, insurance, life sciences, manufacturing, metals and mining, retail and consumer products, travel, and telecommunications.

IBM has an extensive international footprint, operating in over 175 countries and territories. The company maintains a significant presence across multiple continents, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. While its corporate headquarters are in Armonk, New York, IBM has major offices and research facilities globally. Notable international locations include Bangalore (India), London (UK), Paris (France), Munich (Germany), Tokyo (Japan), Sydney (Australia), São Paulo (Brazil), Dubai (UAE), and Johannesburg (South Africa).

IBM has a long-standing reputation as a global brand, recognized for its innovation and impact on computing. In 2022, IBM became the first B2B brand inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame and has a 30-year partnership with Ogilvy, its global creative agency. However, some reports indicate challenges to its brand reputation in recent years. According to a 2021 report (updated in 2025), IBM's ranking as a "Most Just Corporation in the World" significantly declined from 5th in 2019 to 60th in 2024. This report also highlighted a perception of underutilization of technological achievements, such as its Watson technology, for commercial ventures.

IBM is a publicly owned company primarily held by institutional investors. As of September 30, 2025, 63.08% of its 935 million outstanding shares were held by 3,642 institutional holders. Vanguard Group Inc. is the largest shareholder, holding 16.24% of total institutional shares as of September 30, 2025, followed by BlackRock Inc. holding 13.04% of total institutional shares as of September 30, 2025, State Street Corp, Geode Capital Management, Llc, Capital World Investors, Jpmorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley, and Bank Of America Corp /de/. Top individual insider shareholders, who are employees of IBM, include Arvind Krishna (Chairman, President, and CEO, owning 396,341 shares as of December 31, 2024), James J. Kavanaugh, and Gary D. Cohn.