Anthropic Unveils Major Updates to Claude AI Tool Amid $30 Billion Funding
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 25 2026
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Should l Buy IBM?
Source: stocktwits
- Funding Context: Anthropic raised $30 billion in its Series G funding round, achieving a post-money valuation of $380 billion, with this substantial capital aimed at developing enterprise-grade products reflecting strong customer demand for its technology.
- Feature Expansion: At the Enterprise Agents event, the company unveiled 10 new capabilities across various sectors including coding, cybersecurity, human resources, and investment banking, aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and technology application for enterprise clients.
- Acquisition Impact: Anthropic's acquisition of Seattle-based startup Vercept is expected to enhance Claude's computer usage capabilities, further improving its performance in handling complex tasks and managing workflows.
- Market Reaction: The launch of Claude Code triggered significant selloffs in software and cybersecurity stocks, with IBM shares plummeting 13% post-announcement, highlighting the disruptive impact of new technologies on traditional industries and potential labor market implications.
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Analyst Views on IBM
Wall Street analysts forecast IBM stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 253.710
Low
210.00
Averages
315.80
High
375.00
Current: 253.710
Low
210.00
Averages
315.80
High
375.00
About IBM
International Business Machines Corporation is a provider of global hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) and consulting expertise. The Company’s segments include Software, Consulting, Infrastructure and Financing. The Software segment includes hybrid cloud and AI platforms, which allow clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate. The Consulting segment focuses on integrating skills on strategy, experience, technology and operations by domain and industry. The Infrastructure segment is focused on the hybrid cloud infrastructure market, providing on-premises and cloud-based server and storage solutions. In addition, it offers a portfolio of life-cycle services for hybrid cloud infrastructure deployment. The Financing segment provides client and commercial financing, facilitating its clients’ acquisition of hardware, software and services. It helps clients in more than 175 countries.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Announcement: IBM is set to announce its earnings this Wednesday after market close, with the market expecting an 8% year-on-year revenue growth, indicating a recovery from last year's flat revenue and showcasing the company's potential in the tech services sector.
- Performance Beat: Last quarter, IBM reported revenues of $19.69 billion, up 12.1% year-on-year, exceeding analyst expectations and also showing strong performance in earnings per share, reflecting the company's competitiveness in the market.
- Positive Market Sentiment: In the IT services and other tech segments, investor sentiment has been optimistic, with related stocks rising an average of 10.8% over the past month, while IBM's stock has also increased by 2.5%, indicating market confidence in its future performance.
- Stable Analyst Expectations: Despite IBM missing Wall Street's revenue estimates multiple times over the past two years, analysts have generally reaffirmed their expectations over the last 30 days, suggesting a cautiously optimistic outlook for the company's upcoming earnings report.
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- Earnings Announcement: IBM is set to release its Q1 earnings on April 22 after market close, with analysts largely optimistic about performance, particularly due to the earlier-than-expected completion of the Confluent acquisition.
- Performance Expectations: Jefferies analysts predict an EPS of $1.81 (+13.1% Y/Y) and revenue of $15.65B (+7.6% Y/Y) for Q1, indicating strong performance in infrastructure and software sectors.
- Market Reaction and Stock Volatility: Despite a 13.5% drop in IBM's stock year-to-date, analysts believe growth in automation and transaction processing will drive a rebound, especially as the AI narrative strengthens.
- Investor Focus: Investors will closely watch management's comments on the Confluent acquisition, quantum computing initiatives, and AI infrastructure, as these factors could significantly impact future growth prospects and market confidence.
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- Software Growth Outlook: Jefferies analyst Brent Thill anticipates IBM's software business will achieve 11% year-over-year growth in Q1, despite a decline from 14% in Q4, indicating the company is positioned to exceed market expectations after a mixed performance over the past year.
- Early Deal Closure: The earlier-than-expected closure of the CFLT deal (mid-March instead of June) and conservative assumptions for Red Hat (around 10% growth) create room for upward revisions in earnings estimates, showcasing the company's strategic flexibility in execution.
- Infrastructure and Consulting Trends: Analysts note that infrastructure growth is projected at 8% for Q1, down from 21% in Q4, while consulting growth is expected to be 4%, reflecting a normalization of cyclical spending trends, indicating a shift in market demand.
- Free Cash Flow Performance: Overall, IBM's total revenue is expected to grow approximately 7.4% year-over-year in Q1, with a free cash flow margin of about 13% (around $2 billion), providing robust support for future investments and shareholder returns.
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- Surge in Capital Expenditure: In 2026, leading hyperscalers are expected to collectively invest approximately $600 to $650 billion, primarily directed towards AI infrastructure, which will enhance market share and profitability for these companies.
- Integration of Quantum Services: Companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, IBM, and Amazon are embedding quantum capabilities into their platforms, launching a 'quantum-as-a-service' model that accelerates enterprise experimentation and generates incremental revenue, showcasing their first-mover advantage in the quantum market.
- Technological Integration Advantage: Ecosystem leaders like NVIDIA are enhancing quantum system stability and error mitigation through AI-driven tools, indicating that quantum computing will scale as part of a broader AI stack, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Microsoft's Market Outlook: Microsoft is projected to achieve a 25.4% earnings growth and a 16.3% revenue growth in 2026, with price targets from 46 analysts suggesting a 38.6% increase in stock price, reflecting positive market expectations for its AI-quantum integration strategy.
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- IBM Options Volume: Today, IBM options have reached a trading volume of 22,606 contracts, equivalent to approximately 2.3 million shares, representing 48% of its average daily trading volume over the past month, indicating strong market interest in IBM stock.
- High-Frequency Contracts: Within IBM, the $265 strike call option has shown notable activity with 1,501 contracts traded today, representing about 150,100 shares, suggesting investor expectations for future price increases.
- GE Options Volume: GE options have recorded a trading volume of 27,653 contracts today, approximately 2.8 million shares, accounting for 47.9% of its average daily trading volume over the past month, reflecting active market engagement with GE stock.
- Key Contract Analysis: The $302.50 strike put option for GE has seen 2,236 contracts traded, equivalent to about 223,600 shares, highlighting investor concerns regarding potential downside risks for GE's future pricing.
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- Dividend Growth Anticipation: IBM is expected to announce a dividend increase in April, extending its 26-year streak of consecutive dividend growth, with analysts predicting an annual dividend of $6.75 per share, translating to a quarterly dividend of $1.6875, reflecting a 0.45% increase from the current $1.68 distribution.
- Historical Dividend Performance: The last declared dividend was $1.68 per share, yielding 2.65%, and the company raised its dividend from $1.67 to $1.68 last April, showcasing its stability and potential for growth in dividend payouts.
- Dividend Growth Rate: Over the past five years, IBM has achieved a dividend growth rate of approximately 1.53% while maintaining a four-year average payout ratio of 67.41%, indicating a robust strategy in profit distribution.
- Ratings and Market Reaction: IBM holds a B rating for safety and growth, an A- for yield, and an A+ for dividend consistency, with its first-quarter 2026 results scheduled for release on April 22, 2026, as market reactions to its AI strategy may also impact stock performance.
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