New York, Feb 1, 2026, 13:58 EST — Market closed
- IBM shares dropped 0.8% on Friday, closing at $306.70, yet they finished the week roughly 4.9% higher.
- According to an SEC filing, a director bought $304,000 worth of IBM shares on the open market
- Ramon L. Laguarta will join IBM’s board starting March 1
International Business Machines Corporation shares slipped 0.8% to close at $306.70 on Friday, easing back from a volatile week following its quarterly report. After-hours trading saw minimal movement, with the stock wrapping up the week roughly 4.9% higher.
The pullback has investors starting Monday with new clues from filings and a board shake-up, while the stock works to find its footing after the earnings-led reprice.
The next session will be key—buyers need to hold the $300 level or risk more profit-taking. Plus, major U.S. economic data is set to drop throughout the week.
Wall Street slipped on Friday, with the S&P 500 dropping 0.43% and the Dow shedding 0.36%, market data showed.
Director David N. Farr disclosed buying 1,000 shares at $304 apiece on Jan. 30, according to a Form 4 filed with the SEC. The purchase totaled $304,000. After the trade, Farr’s direct holdings stood at 9,258 shares.
IBM also announced that Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s chairman and CEO, will join its board starting March 1. “We are pleased to have Ramon Laguarta join the IBM board of directors,” Arvind Krishna said in a statement. SEC
The company just reported a quarter that beat expectations, driven by strong demand for software linked to corporate AI initiatives. IBM posted revenue of $19.69 billion and adjusted earnings of $4.52 per share. Its AI “book of business” has expanded to $12.5 billion, though the company announced it will stop reporting that figure separately starting next quarter. Reuters
IBM’s results keep it entrenched in a packed enterprise space, battling for major IT dollars alongside cloud and software giants Microsoft and Amazon. At the same time, it relies on its services to hold ground against consulting-heavy competitors like Accenture.
The stock’s valuation has climbed following its post-earnings surge, but analysts warn that execution and integration remain potential weak spots if sentiment sours. Bank of America’s Wamsi Mohan lifted his price target to $340 from $335 and kept a buy rating, noting: “Our target multiple for IBM exceeds the high end of the historical range 8-22x, with median 13x.” TheStreet
Traders will turn their attention to key U.S. releases that could shift rate forecasts and tech valuations: the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing PMI lands Monday at 10 a.m. EST, followed by the January jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, Feb. 6, at 8:30 a.m. EST.
