IBM hikes its dividend

Article Excerpt

IBM $153.22 (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 912.8 million; Market cap: $139.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%; www.ibm.com) is one of the world’s largest computer companies, with operations in over 175 countries Due to slowing demand for its traditional mainframe computers and related services, IBM is aggressively shifting into faster-growing fields. They include cloud computing services (the storage of files and programs using the Internet) and analytics software (including its Watson supercomputer) to process increasingly large amounts of data. The transition is paying off with rising revenue and profits—and dividends. Starting with the June 2018 payment, IBM raised its quarterly dividend by 4.7%, to $1.57 a share from $1.50. The new annual rate of $6.28 yields a high 4.1%. The company has paid dividends continuously since 1916 and has raised the annual rate each year for the past 23 years. IBM is still a buy. buy…