Good MorningEquity markets continued rebounding on Thursday after better-than-expected retail sales figures added impetus to the melt-up. The data shows retail sales growing by 1% over the previous month and 2.7% compared to last year, a solid figure but not quite enough to offset the impact of inflation. The takeaway is that price increases continue to drive economic strength while the volume of retail activity slowly recedes.
The S&P 500 is melting up and will likely continue higher on Friday. However, the upward movement since early August has been choppy and is approaching a ceiling. Given the economic outlook, the ceiling is near the recent highs and may not be broken soon. The retail sales figure is good news but also bad because it will keep the FOMC from cutting rates aggressively. With no sign of recession in the data and inflation slowly winding down to the target of 2.0%, a cautious approach is the most likely posture the FOMC will take. Featured: Jeff Bezos’ honeymoon humiliation (Ad) 
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Markets | | |
Most investors tend to panic sell once the market’s volatility awakens from its often long sleep. As the S&P 500 or the value of any portfolio starts to decline suddenly like it did last week, the main risk management tool market participants look to is simply to reduce exposure to these... Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | | Wall Street rallied to one of its best days of the year Thursday after data showed the U.S. economy is holding up better than expected, with particular credit going to the country’s shoppers. The S&P 500 jumped 1.6% for its fourth-best day of the year and its sixth straight gain as the U.S. stoc... Read the Full Story |
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Stocks | | | Wall Street coasted to the close of its best week since November, as U.S. stocks drifted a bit higher Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% for a seventh straight gain and pulled back within 2% of its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 96 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasd... Read the Full Story |
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Healthcare | | |
Michael Burry, the founder of Scion Asset Management and renowned for his visionary bet against the housing market in 2008, continues to captivate the investment community with his unconventional strategies. His latest portfolio disclosures, revealed in the recent 13F filing for the second quart... Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | | Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week's Democratic National Convention.At his New Jersey golf club, the Republican nominee blended falsehoods about the economy with misleading... Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | |
Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) filed their quarterly 13-F, sending ripples through equity markets from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA). The takeaway from the filing is that Berkshire continues whittling down its position in Apple and other tech plays and i... Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | |
Walmart (NYSE: WMT) share prices surged following the Q2 release in what amounts to a strong trend-following signal. The caution is that the market gapped strongly with the action, suggesting a pullback to reaffirm support is due. The takeaway for investors is that the Q2 results gave the market... Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | | Americans stepped up spending at retailers last month by the most in a year and a half, easing concerns that the economy might be weakening under the pressure of higher prices and elevated interest rates Read the Full Story |
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Markets | | | Dubai-based port operator DP World has reported its half-year profits fell by nearly 60%, in part over the ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war that have affected shipping through the Red Sea Read the Full Story |
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Stocks | | |
The artificial intelligence (AI) sector is experiencing rapid growth and innovation, with companies like NVIDIA experiencing unprecedented stock surges. This AI frenzy has generated significant wealth for many investors and fueled concerns about overvaluation and potential bubbles reminiscent of t... Read the Full Story |
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Friday's Early Bird Stock Of The Day International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate. The Consulting segment focuses on skills integration for strategy, experience, technology, and operations by domain and industry. The Infrastructure segment provides on-premises and cloud based server, and storage solutions, as well as life-cycle services for hybrid cloud infrastructure deployment. The Financing segment offers client and commercial financing, facilitates IBM clients' acquisition of hardware, software, and services. The company has a strategic partnership to various companies including hyperscalers, service providers, global system integrators, and software and hardware vendors that includes Adobe, Amazon Web services, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Samsung Electronics and SAP, and others. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. International Business Machines Corporation was incorporated in 1911 and is headquartered in Armonk, New York. | Should I Buy International Business Machines Stock? IBM Bull and Bear Case Explained
These insights were generated using artificial intelligence. They are based on proprietary MarketBeat data, news articles, and custom LLM A.I. algorithms. This analysis of International Business Machines was last updated on Wednesday, July 09, 2025 at 6:04 PM.
International Business Machines Bull Case -
The current stock price is around $290, which reflects a strong market capitalization of approximately $269 billion, indicating robust investor confidence.
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International Business Machines Co. recently reported earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations, showcasing its ability to generate revenue effectively, with a quarterly revenue increase of 0.5% year-over-year.
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The company has a solid return on equity of 37.43%, which suggests that it is efficient in generating profits from its equity investments.
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International Business Machines Co. has increased its quarterly dividend to $1.68 per share, representing a yield of 2.32%, which can provide a steady income stream for investors.
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Analysts have given the stock a consensus rating of "Hold," with several firms issuing "buy" ratings, indicating potential for future growth and stability in the stock price.
International Business Machines Bear Case -
Despite recent earnings growth, the company has a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 49.87, which may suggest that the stock is overvalued compared to its earnings.
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The dividend payout ratio is currently at 115.66%, indicating that the company is paying out more in dividends than it earns, which could be unsustainable in the long run.
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One analyst has rated the stock with a "sell" rating, which may indicate concerns about the company's future performance.
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The stock has experienced fluctuations, with a 52-week high of $296.16 and a low of $174.45, suggesting volatility that could deter risk-averse investors.
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Recent downgrades from some analysts, including a shift from "buy" to "hold," may reflect a cautious outlook on the company's growth prospects.
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