International Business Machines

IBM
Financial Analysis · Updated May 12, 2026 · Coverage 2026-Q2
Latest Q Revenue
$15.0B
Q3 2025 · +1% YoY

Financial Snapshot


ticker: IBM step: 04 generated: 2026-05-12 source: quick-research

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) — Financial Snapshot

Income Statement Summary

Metric FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 YoY (FY25)
Revenue $61.9B $62.8B ~$66.5B +6%
Operating Pretax Margin ~16% ~16% ~17% +100 bps
Operating Diluted EPS ~$9.50 ~$10.30 ~$11.55 +12%
GAAP EPS $8.15 $7.71 ~$8.50 +10%
Free Cash Flow $11.1B $12.7B $14.7B +16% (decade high)

Segment Detail (FY2025 quarterly trend → Q3 2025 representative)

Segment Quarterly Revenue (Q3 25) YoY
Software $7.2B +9%
- Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat) ~$1.7B ~13%
- Automation (incl. HashiCorp) ~$1.7B +22%
- Data and Transaction ~$2.4B mid-single-digit
- Security ~$0.5B mid-single-digit
Consulting ~$5.1B +1.8% (+0.4% adj for currency)
Infrastructure $3.6B +15% (z17 cycle)
Financing ~$0.2B flat

Cash Flow & Capital Allocation (FY2025)

Metric Value
Free Cash Flow $14.7B (highest in a decade)
Capital Expenditures ~$1.5B
Dividends Paid $6.2B ($1.67/qtr; 30+ consecutive year increases)
Share Repurchases ~$1B (focused on offsetting dilution)
Cash & Marketable Securities ~$14B
Total Debt ~$60B (incl. ~$7B HashiCorp-related)
Dividend Yield ~3.2%

FY2026 Guidance

Metric 2026 Guide
Revenue Growth >5% constant currency
Software Growth ~10%
Free Cash Flow Increase +$1B YoY ($15.7B target)
Operating Pretax Margin Expansion ~+100 bps

Key Ratios (approximate)

  • P/E: ~22x (FY26 operating EPS) | EV/EBITDA: ~16x | FCF Yield: ~6.2%
  • Revenue Growth (FY25): +6% | FCF Margin: ~22%
  • Operating Pretax Margin: ~17%
  • Dividend Yield: ~3.2% | Payout Ratio: ~50% of FCF
  • Net Debt / EBITDA: ~2.5x

Growth Profile

FY25 was IBM's strongest year in over a decade — revenue +6%, EPS +12%, FCF +16% to $14.7B (decade high), and operating margin expanded 100 bps. The growth algorithm now works: Software is now the dominant + fastest-growing segment (~9%, ~10% guided FY26), driven by Red Hat + Automation (with HashiCorp boost) + watsonx generative-AI book of business (>$12B). Infrastructure benefits from the z17 mainframe cycle. Consulting remains the laggard at +1–2% but is profitable and stable.

The strategic re-positioning (post-Kyndryl + Watson Health divestitures, post-Red Hat acquisition, now post-HashiCorp) has finally translated to durable mid-single-digit revenue growth + double-digit FCF growth — re-rating IBM from a "yield trap" narrative to a "hybrid cloud + AI compounder."

Forward Estimates

FY2026 Guide:

  • Revenue: >5% constant currency growth (~$70B)
  • FCF: ~$15.7B (+$1B YoY)
  • Software: ~10% growth
  • Operating Pretax Margin Expansion: ~+100 bps

Bull case: Software accelerates to 12%+ on watsonx ramp + Red Hat strength + HashiCorp synergies; FCF crosses $17B by FY27; multiple expands to mid-20s P/E as AI narrative compounds. Bear case: z17 cycle peaks in 2026 and infrastructure decelerates; Consulting remains weak; watsonx growth disappoints vs. hyperscaler AI; FCF growth slows back to mid-single-digits.

Deeper Financial Analysis

The fundamental tier adds 9 additional research dimensions for $IBM.

Revenue Breakdown
Segment revenue, geographic mix, product-line contribution margins, and cohort dynamics.
Financial Trends
Quarter-over-quarter momentum, leading indicators, and inflection point analysis.
Balance Sheet
Debt structure, liquidity runway, dilution risk, and working capital dynamics.
Capital Allocation
Buyback cadence, M&A appetite, dividend policy, and reinvestment priorities.
Returns on Capital (ROIC)
Multi-year ROIC vs. WACC, marginal returns on reinvestment, sales-to-invested-capital efficiency, and moat spread.
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