IBM Exceeds Q4 Revenue and Profit Estimates Driven by AI Demand
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Source: Newsfilter
- Performance Beat: IBM reported Q4 revenue of $19.69 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $19.23 billion, indicating strong performance amid surging demand for artificial intelligence.
- Profitability Improvement: Adjusted earnings per share reached $4.52, exceeding the forecast of $4.32, reflecting the company's sustained profitability in software services.
- Software Segment Growth: The software segment generated sales of $9.03 billion, beating the estimate of $8.77 billion, with the Automation and Data units growing 18% and 22% respectively, showcasing success in AI technology applications.
- Cloud Business Challenges: Despite overall strong performance, IBM's hybrid cloud unit growth slowed to 10%, impacted by the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, which is expected to exert some short-term pressure on the business.
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Analyst Views on IBM
Wall Street analysts forecast IBM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for IBM is 315.80 USD with a low forecast of 210.00 USD and a high forecast of 375.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 309.240
Low
210.00
Averages
315.80
High
375.00
Current: 309.240
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.
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- Market Reaction: The stock price increased by 7.8% after the results exceeded market expectations.
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