IBM’s new businesses gain

Article Excerpt

IBM $134.38 (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 908.8 million; Market cap: $122.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%; www.ibm.com) reported lower earnings and revenue for the fourth quarter of 2018. However, those results beat the consensus forecasts. In the quarter ended December 31, 2018, IBM’s earnings fell 7.5%, to $4.42 billion from $4.78 billion a year earlier. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share profits declined 5.3%, to $4.87 from $5.14. That beats the consensus estimate of $4.82 a share. Revenue in the quarter fell 3.5%, to $21.76 billion from $22.54 billion a year earlier. That, too, beat the consensus estimate of $21.73 billion. It also reflects a 12% rise for IBM’s new cloud businesses, its “Strategic Imperatives.” The company expects to earn at least $13.90 per share in 2019. IBM trades at just 9.7 times that forecast, and the shares yield a high 4.7%. IBM is still a buy. buy. …