IBM
IBMMarket price data through October 22, 2026.
Performance
Oct 2021 – Oct 2026
Track record
How this pick has done since Benson first called it.
- Benson Return
- -1%
- How much this stock is up since Benson first picked it — measured from the price at the time of that first pick, not from today.
- First pick price
- ~$256
- Roughly what one share cost when Benson first picked this stock. This is the starting line for the Benson Return.
- Tracking since
- April 2026
- The month this stock first became a Benson pick.
- Tracking duration
- 6 months
- How long Benson has been tracking this pick.
About IBM
IBM is the original business computer company, now rebuilt around AI and cloud software. It sells software through units like Red Hat, builds the powerful mainframe servers that run the world's biggest banks and airlines, and offers consulting to tie it all together. It has paid a dividend every single quarter since 1916.
The case for and against
Both sides of the story, in plain English.
- Software Speeds Up
Growth picked up speed this quarter. Total revenue rose 5 percent to 17.1 billion dollars, up from just 1 percent last quarter. Software led the way at 7.8 billion dollars, up 8 percent, with Red Hat up 11 percent and the data business up 19 percent.
- Cash Machine
IBM brought in 11.8 billion dollars of cash from running the business in the first nine months, up 2.6 billion dollars from last year. It returned 1.6 billion dollars to shareholders in dividends this quarter alone, at 1 dollar and 69 cents per share. Management now expects its spare cash to grow by more than 1 billion dollars this year.
- Legacy Lag
IBM's older businesses are still dragging. Mainframe sales fell 20 percent, and consulting revenue was flat at 5.3 billion dollars while earning less profit on each dollar. Consulting alone is nearly a third of all sales, so a stall there holds back the whole company.
- Tax Tailwind
Profit jumped 26 percent to 2.2 billion dollars, but a much smaller tax bill did most of the lifting. Before taxes, profit grew just 3 percent. IBM also spent 11.4 billion dollars buying other companies this year, pushing total debt to 63.8 billion dollars, so those deals need to pay off.
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How to read this page
This automated research summary uses Financial Modeling Prep market data through 2026-10-22. Model signals, scores, and risk labels can change and may be incomplete or wrong.
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