IBM makes a big purchase

Article Excerpt

IBM, $160.10, is still a buy. The company (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 913.1 million; Market cap: $147.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.2%) in the past few years has shifted its focus to its more-profitable cloud computing, consulting and mainframe businesses. It now gets over 75% of its revenue from software and consulting services. As part of that strategy, IBM is now buying two divisions from German technology firm Software AG. One business makes software that speeds up the import of data, while the other helps companies better manage their cloud-based platforms. The company will pay 2.13 billion euros (or $2.34 billion U.S.) for these businesses when it completes the purchase in the second quarter of 2024. IBM has worked with Software AG for more than 20 years, so this familiarity helps cut the risk of these acquisitions. The new operations will also enhance the company’s artificial intelligence and machine learning products. IBM remains a buy. buy…