IBM expands in the cloud

Article Excerpt

IBM, $134.24, is still a buy. The company (New York symbol IBM; Shares outstanding: 908.0 million; Market cap: $121.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.0%) is one of the world’s largest computer companies, with operations in over 175 countries. In the past few years, IBM has shifted its focus to its more-profitable cloud computing, consulting and mainframe businesses. It now gets over 75% of its revenue from its software and consulting. Under that strategy, the company is now buying Apptio Inc. That privately held firm makes software to help over 1,500 businesses manage their cloud-computing activities and various cloud services. Apptio’s clients already include more than half of the Fortune 100 corporations. IBM will pay $4.6 billion for Apptio when it completes the sale in the second half of 2023. The company can easily afford this purchase: it held cash and equivalents of $17.39 billion as of March 31, 2023. IBM remains a buy. buy…