Ultime notizie per IBM (NYSE:IBM) Azioni

IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.

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Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with IBM, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 28 uncommon options trades for IBM.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 32% bullish and 57%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 8 are puts, for a total amount of $2,066,019, and 20 are calls, for a total amount of $2,117,905.
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $145.0 to $280.0 for IBM over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for IBM's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of IBM's whale trades within a strike price range from $145.0 to $280.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>IBM Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1727806579_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$12.55</td>
<td>$12.35</td>
<td>$12.5</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$1.2M</td>
<td>634</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$2.45</td>
<td>$2.41</td>
<td>$2.45</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$498.8K</td>
<td>48.8K</td>
<td>5.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$54.0</td>
<td>$51.75</td>
<td>$52.55</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$496.3K</td>
<td>250</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$1.35</td>
<td>$1.34</td>
<td>$1.35</td>
<td>$280.00</td>
<td>$253.9K</td>
<td>5.6K</td>
<td>5.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$4.3</td>
<td>$4.05</td>
<td>$4.3</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$176.7K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
<td>932</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About IBM</h3>
IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.
<h3>Present Market Standing of IBM</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 1,638,527, the price of IBM is down -0.71% at $219.5. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 22 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About IBM</h3>
3 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $211.66666666666666.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group continues to hold a Outperform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $240. 
&#x2A; An analyst from UBS has decided to maintain their Sell rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $145. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Goldman Sachs persists with their Buy rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $250. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for IBM with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Options

Decoding IBM's Options Activity: What's the Big Picture?

IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) underwent analysis by 7 analysts in the last quarter, revealing a spectrum of viewpoints from bullish to bearish.
The following table encapsulates their recent ratings, offering a glimpse into the evolving sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Indifferent</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Analysts have recently evaluated IBM and provided 12-month price targets. The average target is $208.71, accompanied by a high estimate of $250.00 and a low estimate of $145.00. This current average has increased by 9.44% from the previous average price target of $190.71. 
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1727719231_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Analyzing Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Breakdown</h2>
The perception of IBM by financial experts is analyzed through recent analyst actions. The following summary presents key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>James Schneider</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amit Daryanani</td>
<td>Evercore ISI Group</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$240.00</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>David Vogt</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Sell</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Swanson</td>
<td>RBC Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$211.00</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brent Thill</td>
<td>Jefferies</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Keith Bachman</td>
<td>BMO Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Market Perform</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>David Grossman</td>
<td>Stifel</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$205.00</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: Responding to changing market dynamics and company performance, analysts update their recommendations. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise', or 'Lower' their stance, it signifies their response to recent developments related to IBM. This offers insight into analysts' perspectives on the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Providing a comprehensive analysis, analysts offer qualitative assessments, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings reflect expectations for the relative performance of IBM compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Analysts provide insights into price targets, offering estimates for the future value of IBM's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time.</li>
</ul>
Capture valuable insights into IBM's market standing by understanding these analyst evaluations alongside pertinent financial indicators. Stay informed and make strategic decisions with our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/IBM/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on IBM analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>Discovering IBM: A Closer Look</h2>
IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.
<h3>A Deep Dive into IBM's Financials</h3>
Market Capitalization: Exceeding industry standards, the company's market capitalization places it above industry average in size relative to peers. This emphasizes its significant scale and robust market position.
Revenue Growth: IBM displayed positive results in 3 months. As of 30 June, 2024, the company achieved a solid revenue growth rate of approximately 1.9%. This indicates a notable increase in the company's top-line earnings. In comparison to its industry peers, the company stands out with a growth rate higher than the average among peers in the Information Technology sector.
Net Margin: IBM's net margin excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 11.63%. This signifies efficient cost management and strong financial health.
Return on Equity (ROE): IBM's ROE excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 7.76%. This signifies robust financial management and efficient use of shareholder equity capital.
Return on Assets (ROA): The company's ROA is a standout performer, exceeding industry averages. With an impressive ROA of 1.35%, the company showcases effective utilization of assets.
Debt Management: IBM's debt-to-equity ratio surpasses industry norms, standing at 2.49. This suggests the company carries a substantial amount of debt, posing potential financial challenges.
<h2>The Basics of Analyst Ratings</h2>
Benzinga tracks 150 analyst firms and reports on their stock expectations. Analysts typically arrive at their conclusions by predicting how much money a company will make in the future, usually the upcoming five years, and how risky or predictable that company's revenue streams are.
Analysts attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish their ratings on stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter or whenever the company has a major update.
In addition to their assessments, some analysts extend their insights by offering predictions for key metrics such as earnings, revenue, and growth estimates. This supplementary information provides further guidance for traders. It is crucial to recognize that, despite their specialization, analysts are human and can only provide forecasts based on their beliefs.
Breaking: Wall Street's Next Big Mover
Benzinga's #1 analyst just identified a stock poised for explosive growth. This under-the-radar company could surge 200%+ as major market shifts unfold. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/turning-point-trader-checkout-2/?t=Tu1tu3arja3be22tu36&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for urgent details</a>.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Assessing IBM: Insights From 7 Financial Analysts

Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider maintains IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $220 to $250.

Goldman Sachs Maintains Buy on IBM, Raises Price Target to $250

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IONQ#NYSE">IONQ</a>) shares are trading higher on Friday after the company signed a $54.5 million contract with the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket" rel="noreferrer noopener"> United States Air Force Research Lab.</a>
Now entering its third year of substantial commercial revenue, IonQ has achieved nearly 100% compound annual growth in sales (bookings) and an impressive<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/b41062147/ionq-announces-largest-2024-u-s-quantum-contract-award-of-54-5m-with-united-states-air-force-resea" rel="noreferrer noopener"> 225% growth in recognized revenue.</a>
With a quarter left in the fiscal year, IonQ has reported $72.8 million in bookings year-to-date, expressing confidence in meeting or exceeding its annual guidance of $75-95 million.
&#8220;No other publicly traded pure-play quantum computing company has nearly doubled revenue each year since going public, nor have they approached the $100M bookings mark so quickly,&#8221; said Peter Chapman, President and CEO of IonQ.
Also Read:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/08/40235141/ionq-stock-jumps-on-q2-earnings-the-details" rel="noreferrer noopener"> IonQ Stock Jumps On Q2 Earnings: The Details</a>
Last month, IonQ announced that it was chosen by the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) to develop a groundbreaking quantum networking contract aimed at creating a networked system for blind quantum computing.
IonQ has recruited experienced professionals from major technology leaders like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), and more to collaborate with the world&#8217;s largest organizations and drive value.
The company also revealed a $9 million agreement with the University of Maryland to offer advanced quantum computing access.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, IONQ stock has lost over 43% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;Main Thematic Innovation ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMAT#BATS">TMAT</a>).
Price Action: IONQ shares are trading higher by 16.20% to $9.36 at the last check on Friday.
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Photo courtesy of IonQ

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Why Is IonQ Stock Trading Higher On Friday?

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) shares are trading <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/movers" rel="noreferrer noopener">marginally higher on Thursday</a>.
According to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>, IBM stock has gained over 55% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDIV#NASDAQ">TDIV</a>) and&nbsp;FT Vest DJIA Dogs 10 Target Income ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOGG#BATS">DOGG</a>).
Today, the company announced the completion of its latest expansion at the IBM Quantum<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/n41046342/ibm-expands-quantum-data-center-in-poughkeepsie-new-york-to-advance-algorithm-discovery-globally" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Data Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.</a>
The latest IBM Quantum system achieves reduced error rates at 16 times better performance and a 25-fold increase in speed over 2022 IBM Quantum systems.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41051772/why-tal-education-stock-is-skyrocketing" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why TAL Education Stock Is Skyrocketing</a>
&#8220;Since IBM made the first quantum computer available on the cloud in 2016, we have broken barriers across quantum hardware and software to build our largest and highest-performing fleet of globally accessible quantum systems,&#8221; said&nbsp;Jay Gambetta, Vice President at IBM Quantum.
This facility now houses the largest number of utility-scale quantum computers in a single location globally, with these systems available to clients through the IBM cloud.
Gambetta emphasized that the quantum data center in Poughkeepsie serves as a central hub for organizations worldwide to tackle industry-related challenges using real quantum hardware.
He noted that as they expand their quantum computing capabilities both in Poughkeepsie and globally, they will collaborate with over 250 organizations to accelerate advancements in the field.
Earlier this month, the company unveiled a new AI foundation model designed for various weather and climate applications, created in collaboration with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/n40978099/ibm-and-nasa-release-open-source-ai-model-on-hugging-face-for-weather-and-climate-applications" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.</a>
This open-source model is accessible to the scientific, developer, and business communities, providing a flexible and scalable solution to tackle challenges associated with both short-term weather forecasting and long-term climate projections.
Price Action: IBM shares are trading higher by 0.55% to $222.45 at last check Thursday.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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DOGG

TDIV

IBM's Latest Quantum System Delivers 16x Lower Error Rates And 25x Speed Increase: Details

IBM's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) short percent of float has risen 12.5% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 23.16 million shares sold short, which is 2.52% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 5.94 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>IBM Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1727370013_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for IBM has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing IBM's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, IBM's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 4.10%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Peering Into IBM's Recent Short Interest

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on IBM.
Looking at options history for IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) we detected 17 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 52% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 11% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $140,473 and 14, calls, for a total amount of $770,416.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $175.0 to $240.0 for IBM over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of IBM stands at 1456.17, with a total volume reaching 1,828.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in IBM, situated within the strike price corridor from $175.0 to $240.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>IBM Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1727283655_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$24.4</td>
<td>$24.25</td>
<td>$24.4</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$197.6K</td>
<td>10</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">201</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>10/25/24</td>
<td>$8.75</td>
<td>$8.3</td>
<td>$8.53</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$83.6K</td>
<td>551</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">282</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$39.15</td>
<td>$38.25</td>
<td>$38.72</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>$62.1K</td>
<td>594</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$15.3</td>
<td>$15.1</td>
<td>$15.21</td>
<td>$230.00</td>
<td>$61.3K</td>
<td>15</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">149</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$8.3</td>
<td>$8.25</td>
<td>$8.3</td>
<td>$240.00</td>
<td>$53.9K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">71</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About IBM</h3>
IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.
Having examined the options trading patterns of IBM, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>IBM's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 869,227, the price of IBM is up by 0.02%, reaching $221.01.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 28 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About IBM</h3>
A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $192.5.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from UBS has decided to maintain their Sell rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $145. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Evercore ISI Group persists with their Outperform rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $240. 
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest IBM options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

Check Out What Whales Are Doing With IBM

Adobe (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/adbe#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>), a titan in the Portable Document Format (PDF) technology, has been facing macroeconomic and competitive challenges this year, with its stock price plummeting 12.4% in the year-to-date period against the Zacks Computer-Software industry, the broader technology sector and the S&amp;P 500 index&#39;s returns of 14.8%, 22.2% and 19.6%, respectively.
<h2>Year-to-Date Price Performance</h2>
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/c9/78842.jpg?v=1570621114" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
This loss has left investors and analysts questioning the company&#39;s future prospects. However, amid this downturn, Adobe&#39;s strengthening Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) drive is emerging as a potential catalyst for a much-needed recovery.
ADBE&#39;s strong positioning in the digital content and marketing industry on the back of its robust cloud-enabled products and growing GenAI capabilities has been boosting its business prospects.
<h2>Expanding GenAI-Powered Solutions Drive ADBE&#39;s Prospects</h2>
Adobe is constantly riding on the solid momentum in its family of creative, generative AI models, namely Firefly.
Its unveiling of the Firefly Image 2 Model, Firefly Vector Model and Firefly Design Model to mark a significant advancement in its creative generative AI model family, enhancing creative control, image quality and illustrator capabilities, is a major positive.
Adobe recently introduced the new Firefly Video model, which is marked as another positive.
With Firefly innovations and integrations, ADBE has exceeded 12 billion generations since the launch of Firefly. This is marked as an important milestone.
The company enhanced features of Acrobat AI Assistant to allow customers to ask questions, get insights, and create content from information across groups of PDFs and other document types, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and text files. It also introduced enhanced meeting transcript capabilities in AI Assistant.
Adobe&#39;s growing efforts to expand content creation in Adobe Acrobat are noteworthy. It integrated Adobe Firefly image generation into its Edit PDF workflows. It has optimized AI Assistant in Acrobat to generate content fit for presentations, emails and other forms of communication.
Adobe also offers Adobe Express Platform AI Assistant, which is capable of answering technical questions, automating tasks, simulating outcomes and generating audiences seamlessly.
The launch of Generative Remove in Adobe Lightroom, which is a powerful Firefly-backed tool that helps remove unwanted objects from any photo in a single click in a non-destructive manner, is a plus.
The introduction of Adobe Express for Enterprise, which is powered by Firefly Image Model 3, is driving the company&#39;s momentum among various enterprises.
<h2>Strong Customer Base Drives ADBE&#39;s Growth</h2>
A solid portfolio and differentiated approach to AI are attracting an expanding universe of customers across Adobe&#39;s segments.
International Business Machines (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ibm#NYSE">IBM</a>) is one of the notable customers leveraging Adobe Firefly.
Adobe&#39;s other key customer wins include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Mayo Clinic, Home Depot, Dentsu, TD Bank, Newell Brands, Alphabet&#39;s&nbsp;Google, MediaMonks, Meta, U.S. Navy, PepsiCo, Estee Lauder, Disney, RedBull, Amazon, KPMG, U.S. Treasury Department and Charles Schwab.
<h2>ADBE&#39;s Impressive Projections &amp; Rising Estimates</h2>
Strong customer momentum, along with solid Firefly momentum, is expected to boost its near-term as well as long-term prospects.
For fourth-quarter fiscal 2024, Adobe projects total revenues between $5.50 billion and $5.55 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $5.54 billion, indicating growth of 9.8% year over year.
Management expects non-GAAP earnings per share between $4.63 and $4.68. The consensus mark for the same is pinned at $4.66, indicating growth of 9.1%. The estimate has been revised upward by a penny over the past 30 days.
For fiscal 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $21.44 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 10.5%.
The consensus mark for fiscal 2024 earnings is pegged at $18.26 per share, suggesting year-over-year growth of 13.6%. The estimate has been revised upward by 0.6% in the past 30 days.
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/ec/78843.jpg?v=470519674" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h2>Macro Headwinds &amp; Stiff Competition: Challenges for ADBE</h2>
However, a challenging macroeconomic environment, with high oil prices and elevated interest rates, remains a concern for Adobe. Fears of a looming U.S. recession are certainly major concerns. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war also does not bode well for the company&#39;s business.
Moreover, ADBE faces stiff competition in the AI software space from other tech giants and well-funded startups like Stability AI and Midjourney.
Intensifying competition might cause the returns from its AI push to take longer to materialize, which does not bode well for the stock.
<h2>ADBE Stock Overvalued</h2>
ADBE stock is not so cheap, as the Value Score of D suggests a stretched valuation at this moment.
In terms of the forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio, Adobe is trading at 9.92X, higher than the industry&#39;s average of 7.84X.
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/bf/78844.jpg?v=187583004" style="border-style:solid; border-width:1px" /> 
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Adobe&#39;s deepening GenAI focus and innovative GenAI-powered portfolio present a compelling opportunity for long-term investors. Its upward estimate revisions also bode well.
However, macro uncertainties and stiff AI competition are negatives for the stock. Also, its stretched valuation and Growth Score of C make it a risky bet at present.
ADBE currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), suggesting that it may be wise to wait for a more favorable entry point in the stock.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2340074/adobe-dips-12-4-ytd-can-adbe-stock-rebound-on-genai-strength?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|most_popular_stocks-2340074">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings

Large Cap

Macro Economic Events

Management

Economics

ADBE

Adobe Dips 12.4% YTD: Can ADBE Stock Rebound on GenAI Strength?

IBM Unveils New AI Foundation Model For Weather And Climate Applications, Developed In Collaboration With NASA And Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Available Open-Source To Scientific And Business Communities

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$26.1K</td>
<td>161.7K</td>
<td>187.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$21.00</td>
<td>$30.8K</td>
<td>104.0K</td>
<td>89.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$227.50</td>
<td>$60.0K</td>
<td>25.7K</td>
<td>59.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$157.50</td>
<td>$27.2K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
<td>20.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$63.2K</td>
<td>39.4K</td>
<td>18.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$31.6K</td>
<td>13.7K</td>
<td>12.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$455.00</td>
<td>$32.7K</td>
<td>5.5K</td>
<td>10.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$262.50</td>
<td>$50.0K</td>
<td>5.1K</td>
<td>5.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$440.00</td>
<td>$45.6K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
<td>4.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$169.4K</td>
<td>48.5K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 238 contract(s) at a $120.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 8 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.1K, with a price of $110.0 per contract. There were 161784 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 187734 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 641 contract(s) at a $21.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 21 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.8K, with a price of $48.0 per contract. There were 104002 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 89110 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 216 contract(s) at a $227.50 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 8 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $60.0K, with a price of $278.0 per contract. There were 25714 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 59016 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we observe a put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $157.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.2K, with a price of $136.0 per contract. There were 2000 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 20478 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be neutral, expiring in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 372 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 9 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $63.2K, with a price of $170.0 per contract. There were 39439 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 18984 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AVGO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 211 contract(s) at a $170.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 20 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.6K, with a price of $150.0 per contract. There were 13715 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 12663 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 29 day(s) on October 18, 2024. This event was a transfer of 84 contract(s) at a $455.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $32.7K, with a price of $390.0 per contract. There were 5584 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 10547 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CRM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 78 contract(s) at a $262.50 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 15 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $50.0K, with a price of $618.0 per contract. There were 5172 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5903 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 60 contract(s) at a $440.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $45.6K, with a price of $760.0 per contract. There were 1759 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4870 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 120 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 892 contract(s) at a $250.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 70 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $169.4K, with a price of $190.0 per contract. There were 48567 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2417 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

AVGO

INTC

MSTR

SMCI

10 Information Technology Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

On CNBC, Kevin Simpson Announced Bought More International Business Machines

Verint Systems Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRNT#NASDAQ">VRNT</a>) shares are in the spotlight Thursday after The Bear Cave released a bearish report on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/VRNT" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the contact center company</a>.
What To Know: Short-selling firm The Bear Cave has customer experience (CX) automation company Verint Systems in its crosshairs. The short seller published a report Thursday morning titled, &#8220;Problems at Verint Systems (VRNT),&#8221; arguing that the company is likely to be disrupted by <a href="http://benzinga.com/topic/ai">AI</a> advancement.
&#8220;Verint's management insists Verint will be an AI beneficiary as customers use Verint's AI-powered bots to improve their call centers. The Bear Cave sees things differently,&#8221; the short seller said.
Benzinga has reached out to Verint Systems for comment on the report.
The Bear Cave believes AI is going to negatively impact Verint as AI-powered competitors take share from its automated bot offerings and AI agents largely replace human agents over the coming years. The short seller believes Verint will &#8220;suffer significantly&#8221; as call centers transition away from humans. 
The Bear Cave also highlighted a pair of interviews from last month in which a former sales director for Verint acknowledged that competitors have adopted AI faster than Verint, and that the company may get left behind as it continues to focus on bots. The former sales director noted that it&#8217;s not clear if Verint will still be around in another 10 or 15 years, given the amount of AI-specific startups coming into the space, according to the short seller.
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/09/40937593/oracle-cloudworld-highlights-ai-driven-tech-services-but-revenue-growth-requires-patience-analyst">Oracle CloudWorld Highlights &#8216;AI-Driven Tech Services,&#8217; But Revenue Growth Requires Patience: Analyst</a>
The Bear Cave highlighted some of the increasing competition including from Alphabet Inc&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Dialogflow, International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) and several startups like Yellow AI and Observe AI, which are aggressively moving into AI automation for call centers.
The firm also pointed to a recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/b40922898/t-mobile-and-openai-join-forces-to-revolutionize-the-customer-experience-with-first-ever-intent-dr">press release</a> from T-Mobile US Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>), announcing a partnership with OpenAI that aims to revolutionize the customer experience. The company expects the partnership to help automate tasks that would normally require a store visit or call to a customer service agent.
The short seller noted AI headwinds may be starting to show up in the company&#8217;s numbers. Last quarter, Verint <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/09/40737739/these-analysts-cut-their-forecasts-on-verint-systems-following-downbeat-q2-results">missed analyst estimates</a> on the top and bottom lines and issued soft guidance for the full year.
&#8220;The future is not bots, the future is not human agents, and the future is certainly not Verint,&#8221; the short seller said.
VRNT Price Action: Verint shares were up 0.67% at $26.38 at the time of publication Thursday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40909973/blackrock-microsoft-others-team-up-for-30b-artificial-intelligence-fund-help-us-fuel-ai-innovation-a">BlackRock, Microsoft, Others Team Up For $30B Artificial Intelligence Fund: Help US Fuel &#8216;AI Innovation And Economic Growth&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

GOOG

GOOGL

TMUS

VRNT

Short Seller Targets Verint Systems Stock As AI Threat Emerges: 'The Future Is Certainly Not Verint'

New locations in Bucharest, Romania, Buffalo, New York, and Leicester, UK, aim to help clients explore opportunities in generative AI, hybrid cloud and other Microsoft technologies to transform their business
ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) and Microsoft announced the official opening of three new IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones within IBM's Client Innovation Centers. These Experience Zones are designed to help global clients across industries, such as financial services, government, healthcare, industrial, manufacturing and consumer packed goods (CPG), find new ways to derive value from <a href="https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence">generative AI</a>, <a href="https://www.ibm.com/topics/hybrid-cloud">hybrid cloud</a> and other Microsoft products and technologies.

IBM And Microsoft Open 3 New Experience Zones To Provide Global Clients With More Hands-On Access To Cloud And Generative AI Solutions

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$118.00</td>
<td>$37.1K</td>
<td>28.6K</td>
<td>71.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/27/24</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$74.5K</td>
<td>6.0K</td>
<td>6.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$440.00</td>
<td>$28.1K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CORZ</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$15.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>10.0K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ORCL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$43.4K</td>
<td>7.4K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AKAM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$90.00</td>
<td>$70.0K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/18/26</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$77.5K</td>
<td>10.6K</td>
<td>660</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$27.6K</td>
<td>280</td>
<td>465</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRWD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$26.8K</td>
<td>286</td>
<td>370</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/27/24</td>
<td>$91.00</td>
<td>$99.2K</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>335</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 217 contract(s) at a $118.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $37.1K, with a price of $171.0 per contract. There were 28609 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 71389 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 10 day(s) on September 27, 2024. Parties traded 500 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $74.5K, with a price of $149.0 per contract. There were 6098 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6182 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 3 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 20 contract(s) at a $440.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.1K, with a price of $1405.0 per contract. There were 1446 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3178 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CORZ (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CORZ#NASDAQ">CORZ</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 94 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 336 contract(s) at a $15.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $75.0 per contract. There were 10068 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1493 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ORCL (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 3 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 56 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 10 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $43.4K, with a price of $775.0 per contract. There were 7490 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1169 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AKAM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AKAM#NASDAQ">AKAM</a>), we observe a put option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 31 day(s) on October 18, 2024. Parties traded 1000 contract(s) at a $90.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $70.0K, with a price of $70.0 per contract. There were 1598 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1011 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 822 day(s) on December 18, 2026. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $20.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $77.5K, with a price of $775.0 per contract. There were 10639 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 660 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 185 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 8 contract(s) at a $185.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.6K, with a price of $3460.0 per contract. There were 280 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 465 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CRWD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 367 day(s) on September 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $185.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 8 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.8K, with a price of $1160.0 per contract. There were 286 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 370 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 10 day(s) on September 27, 2024. Parties traded 155 contract(s) at a $91.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $99.2K, with a price of $640.0 per contract. There were 105 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 335 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

AKAM

Core Scientific, Inc. - Class A Common Stock

CORZ

CRWD

10 Information Technology Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

IBM Acquires Kubecost, Terms Not Disclosed

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$117.00</td>
<td>$38.0K</td>
<td>12.5K</td>
<td>61.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ORCL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$38.9K</td>
<td>6.9K</td>
<td>8.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$450.00</td>
<td>$57.2K</td>
<td>1.7K</td>
<td>4.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$630.5K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$87.00</td>
<td>$37.6K</td>
<td>610</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
<td>$237.8K</td>
<td>15.9K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$30.00</td>
<td>$31.0K</td>
<td>15.5K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ADBE</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$600.00</td>
<td>$1.3 million</td>
<td>561</td>
<td>364</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$180.00</td>
<td>$62.3K</td>
<td>8.1K</td>
<td>362</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WOLF</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$8.00</td>
<td>$61.4K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
<td>360</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• For NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 4 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 139 contract(s) at a $117.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 9 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $38.0K, with a price of $274.0 per contract. There were 12592 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 61676 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding ORCL (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $165.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $38.9K, with a price of $778.0 per contract. There were 6977 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 8784 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 4 day(s) on September 20, 2024. This event was a transfer of 30 contract(s) at a $450.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $57.2K, with a price of $1909.0 per contract. There were 1754 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4442 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 60 day(s) on November 15, 2024. This event was a transfer of 452 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $630.5K, with a price of $1395.0 per contract. There were 4980 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2545 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 4 day(s) on September 20, 2024. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $87.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $37.6K, with a price of $188.0 per contract. There were 610 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2252 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 123 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 298 contract(s) at a $180.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $237.8K, with a price of $798.0 per contract. There were 15915 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1985 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 95 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 1000 contract(s) at a $30.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 10 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.0K, with a price of $31.0 per contract. There were 15581 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1337 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding ADBE (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>), we observe a call option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 277 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 350 contract(s) at a $600.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $1.3 million, with a price of $3750.0 per contract. There were 561 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 364 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AVGO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 123 day(s) on January 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 63 contract(s) at a $180.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 15 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $62.3K, with a price of $990.0 per contract. There were 8124 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 362 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding WOLF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 95 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 307 contract(s) at a $8.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $61.4K, with a price of $200.0 per contract. There were 2324 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 360 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

WOLF

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bullish approach towards IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in IBM usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 23 extraordinary options activities for IBM. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 39% leaning bullish and 39% bearish. Among these notable options, 2 are puts, totaling $67,464, and 21 are calls, amounting to $1,841,940.
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $130.0 to $250.0 for IBM over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for IBM's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across IBM's significant trades, within a strike price range of $130.0 to $250.0, over the past month.
<h3>IBM 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726497948_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$15.2</td>
<td>$14.2</td>
<td>$14.2</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$404.7K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
<td>943</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$13.35</td>
<td>$13.3</td>
<td>$13.35</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$340.4K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$24.95</td>
<td>$23.35</td>
<td>$24.0</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$148.8K</td>
<td>878</td>
<td>19</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$14.3</td>
<td>$13.95</td>
<td>$14.3</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$144.4K</td>
<td>4.9K</td>
<td>635</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$14.15</td>
<td>$12.25</td>
<td>$13.15</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$89.0K</td>
<td>716</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About IBM</h3>
IBM looks to be a part of every aspect of an enterprise's IT needs. The company primarily sells software, IT services, consulting, and hardware. IBM operates in 175 countries and employs approximately 350,000 people. The company has a robust roster of 80,000 business partners to service 5,200 clients, which includes 95% of all Fortune 500. While IBM is a B2B company, IBM's outward impact is substantial. For example, IBM manages 90% of all credit card transactions globally and is responsible for 50% of all wireless connections in the world.
In light of the recent options history for IBM, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
<h3>IBM's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 903,390, with IBM's price up by 0.89%, positioned at $216.71.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 37 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for IBM</h3>
2 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $192.5.
<ul>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from UBS continues to hold a Sell rating for IBM, targeting a price of $145. </li>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group continues to hold a Outperform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $240. </li>
</ul>
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for IBM, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Spotlight on IBM: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity

Tech&#8217;s extended bull run has more legs to play out, with a key imminent catalyst potentially giving a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/09/40828657/top-3-tech-stocks-youll-regret-missing-in-september"> thrust to the stocks belonging to the sector,</a> according to an analyst at Wedbush.
Fed To Kickstart Risk-On Trade: The Federal Reserve will finally begin to cut interest rates in the current monetary policy cycle. The likely cut will come two-and-a-half years after the first rate hike implemented to curb inflationary pressure that reared its ugly head following the stimulatory measures implemented to offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Wedbush&#8217;s Daniel Ives said tech investors now look forward to risk-on trade after some nervousness seen in late July. &#8220;Despite all the noise and white knuckles, overall tech earnings have been generally robust with Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), the latest tech stalwart to give more validation that the AI Revolution is starting to quickly move towards the much-awaited software and use case part of the cycle,&#8221; he said.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-tech-stocks">Best Tech Stocks Right Now</a>
Growth Sweet-spot: The tech supply chain is gearing up for an &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; period of growth, driven by the massive artificial intelligence capex spending over the next few years, Ives said, basing his view on Asia checks.
The AI revolution, which kickstarted with Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), now has ramifications for the broader tech sector, the analyst said, calling the technology the fourth industrial revolution. This revolution is happening across semiconductor, software, infrastructure, internet and smartphones and will likely extend over the next 12 to 18 months, he said.
Nvidia and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) are core drivers of AI, and now other tech stocks such as Oracle, ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NYSE">NOW</a>), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>), Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), Dell Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>), International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NYSE">AMD</a>) are joining the party as well, he said. &#8220;We believe the stage is set for tech stocks to move higher into yearend and 2025 in our opinion as the Fed and Powell kick off its rate-cutting cycle this week, macro soft landing remains the path, and tech spending on AI remains a generational spending cycle just starting to hit the shores of the tech sector,&#8221; Ives said.
Why It&#8217;s Important: The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, has been on an extended uptrend since the start of 2023. This is despite the hiccup seen since mid-July due to concerns about the lavish capex plans of AI companies.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="475" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111-1024x475.png" alt="" class="wp-image-548793" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111-1024x475.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111-300x139.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111-768x356.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111-1536x713.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/16015317/image-111.png 1860w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Source: Benzinga Pro data.
The extended run-up introduces caution among investors, given valuations have become stretched. Analysts also see the laggards and leaders switching places when the Fed begins to cut rates, with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39830547/why-cathie-wood-is-betting-on-small-cap-stocks-triumphing-over-magnificent-six-amid-restrictive-">underperforming interest-rate sensitive small-cap stocks seen as the biggest beneficiaries.</a>
Tech bulls such as Ives see the broadening of the rally rather than one gaining at the expense of the other, given the massive potential AI offers.
The QQQ settled Friday&#8217;s session up 0.45% at $475.34, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro data.</a> The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) gained 0.50% to $220.44 and is up about 15% for the year.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40771209/peter-schiff-warns-against-irrational-exuberance-toward-tech-stocks-cryptos-as-econ">Peter Schiff Warns Against Irrational Exuberance Toward Tech Stocks, Cryptos As Economist Cites Intel&#8217;s Fall From Grace</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Phongphan on Shutterstock

Worried About Staggering Tech Valuation? Analyst Says These Stocks Are  Poised To Go Higher As Fed Kicks Off 'Rate-Cutting Cycle' This Week

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/13/24</td>
<td>$110.00</td>
<td>$35.2K</td>
<td>83.0K</td>
<td>211.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/13/24</td>
<td>$420.00</td>
<td>$31.6K</td>
<td>6.9K</td>
<td>9.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/13/24</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$47.7K</td>
<td>7.7K</td>
<td>7.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$29.2K</td>
<td>709</td>
<td>5.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/13/24</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$25.0K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>2.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CLS</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/13/24</td>
<td>$43.00</td>
<td>$30.1K</td>
<td>4.1K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$80.00</td>
<td>$50.9K</td>
<td>385</td>
<td>481</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/27/24</td>
<td>$480.00</td>
<td>$109.8K</td>
<td>92</td>
<td>326</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$225.00</td>
<td>$35.5K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td>319</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$270.00</td>
<td>$34.4K</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
<td>301</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on September 13, 2024. Parties traded 81 contract(s) at a $110.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 15 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.2K, with a price of $435.0 per contract. There were 83080 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 211340 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 2 day(s) on September 13, 2024. This event was a transfer of 164 contract(s) at a $420.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 32 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.6K, with a price of $193.0 per contract. There were 6934 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 9098 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AVGO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on September 13, 2024. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 9 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $47.7K, with a price of $478.0 per contract. There were 7768 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 7385 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 128 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 240 contract(s) at a $250.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.2K, with a price of $122.0 per contract. There were 709 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5548 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), we observe a put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on September 13, 2024. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $145.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.0K, with a price of $250.0 per contract. There were 1290 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2977 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CLS (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLS#NYSE">CLS</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on September 13, 2024. Parties traded 1100 contract(s) at a $43.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.1K, with a price of $25.0 per contract. There were 4135 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1937 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 100 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 33 contract(s) at a $80.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $50.9K, with a price of $1545.0 per contract. There were 385 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 481 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 16 day(s) on September 27, 2024. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $480.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $109.8K, with a price of $1092.0 per contract. There were 92 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 326 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 191 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $225.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.5K, with a price of $1545.0 per contract. There were 1980 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 319 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CRM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 37 day(s) on October 18, 2024. This event was a transfer of 200 contract(s) at a $270.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $34.4K, with a price of $172.0 per contract. There were 3311 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 301 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Evercore ISI Group analyst Amit Daryanani maintains IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) with a Outperform and raises the price target from $215 to $240.

Evercore ISI Group Maintains Outperform on IBM, Raises Price Target to $240

Amid the widespread digital transformation, cloud computing stands out as an attractive market because of its flexibility, cost optimization, and enhanced data security. Therefore, you can't afford to miss investing in three key cloud computing stocks: Alphabet (GOOGL), International Business Machines (IBM), and Workday (WDAY). Keep reading... Businesses are increasingly adopting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, combining public, private, and on-premise clouds. This flexibility prevents vendor lock-in, ensures data compliance, and optimizes costs. As demand for digital transformation grows, companies utilizing cloud solutions are positioned to thrive, presenting lucrative investment opportunities.
Therefore, investors should consider robust cloud computing stocks such as Alphabet Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">GOOGL</a>), International Business Machines Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">IBM</a>), and Workday, Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/WDAY/">WDAY</a>) – opportunities one can't afford to miss.
Cloud computing has transformed identity management and security, automating enterprise services globally. High-speed internet and innovative tech services have streamlined business operations through enhanced storage, databases, and cybersecurity solutions. Worldwide spending on public cloud services is projected to reach $805 billion in 2024 and <a href="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS52460024">double by 2028</a>, according to the latest IDC report.
Furthermore, cloud computing is essential to the modern economy, allowing businesses to scale and innovate effectively. Companies are constantly adapting to meet market demands for data availability, security, and business continuity. Hence, in Q2 2024, global spending on cloud infrastructure services grew 19% year-on-year, reaching <a href="https://www.canalys.com/newsroom/worldwide-cloud-services-q2-2024">$78.20 billion</a> and emphasizing its rising significance in various sectors.
Given these favorable trends in the cloud computing market, let's take a closer look at the fundamentals of the three cloud computing stocks mentioned above.
Alphabet Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">GOOGL</a>)
GOOGL offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through its Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments.
Bottom of Form
In terms of the trailing-12-month net income margin, GOOGL's 26.70% is 805.9% higher than the 2.95% industry average. Its 30.87% trailing-12-month Return on Common Equity is 861.6% higher than the 3.21% industry average. Moreover, its 21.13% trailing-12-month <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnonassets.asp">Return on Total Assets</a> is significantly higher than the 1.24% industry average.
GOOGL's revenues for the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, increased 13.6% year-over-year to $84.74 billion. The company's income from operations rose 25.6% from the year-ago value to $27.43 billion.
Its net income and EPS rose 28.6% and 31.3% over the prior-year quarter to $23.62 billion and $1.89, respectively. Also, its company's cash and cash equivalents came in at $27.23 billion as of June 30, 2024, compared to $24.05 billion as of December 31, 2023.
Street expects GOOGL's EPS and revenue for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, to increase 18.5% and 12.5% year-over-year to $1.84 and $86.27 billion, respectively. It surpassed the consensus EPS estimate in each of the trailing four quarters. The stock has gained 26.8% over the past year to close the last trading session at $167.19.
GOOGL's <a href="https://stocknews.com/powr-ratings/">POWR Ratings</a> reflect strong prospects. It has an overall rating of B, translating to a Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings assess stocks by 118 different factors, each with its own weighting.
It is ranked #16 out of 52 in the A-rated <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/internet/">Internet</a> industry. It has a B grade for Stability and Quality. <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/GOOGL/">Click here</a> to see GOOGL's Growth, Value, Momentum, and Sentiment ratings.
International Business Machines Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">IBM</a>)
IBM and its subsidiaries provide integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through the Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments.
On September 26, 2024, IBM announced the expansion of its Quantum Data Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, introducing the IBM Quantum Heron processor, which offers improved performance and speed for global clients.
On September 24, 2024, IBM and EY announced a collaboration to leverage Apptio software, launching new solutions aimed at enhancing enterprise technology spend visibility and management. These solutions focus on improving decision-making, reducing manual reporting, and enabling organizations to optimize cloud investments and IT resources effectively.
In terms of the trailing-12-month levered FCF margin, IBM's 13.21% is 27.5% higher than the 10.36% industry average. Its 23.45% trailing-12-month EBITDA margin is 133.4% higher than the 10.05% industry average. Also, its 7.50% trailing-12-month Return on Total Capital is 169.7% higher than the industry average of 2.78%.
During the fiscal second quarter that ended on June 30, 2024, IBM's total revenue increased 1.9% year-over-year to $15.77 billion. Its non-GAAP gross profit stood at $9.12 billion, up 5.4% year-over-year over the prior year's quarter. For the same quarter, IBM's non-GAAP income from continuing operations came in at $2.27 billion and $2.43 per share, up 13.6% and 11.5% from the year-ago value, respectively.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, IBM's revenue is expected to increase 2% year-over-year to $15.04 billion. Its EPS for the same quarter is expected to rise 1% year-over-year to $2.22. It surpassed the Street EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Over the past year, the stock has gained 57.6% to close the last trading session at $221.08.
It's no surprise that IBM has an overall rating of B, which translates to a Buy in our proprietary POWR Ratings system.
It has a B grade for Quality. Within the <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/technology-services/">Technology – Services</a> industry, it is ranked #18 out of 75 stocks. To access the additional ratings for IBM's Growth, Value, Momentum, Stability, and Sentiment, <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">click here</a>.
Workday, Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/WDAY/">WDAY</a>)
WDAY provides enterprise cloud applications internationally. Its applications help customers plan, execute, analyze, and extend to other applications and environments to manage their business and operations.
On September 18, 2024, WDAY announced the expansion of Workday Ventures, which made 10 new AI investments since early 2023. These investments focus on innovative AI technologies aimed at enhancing productivity and decision-making for organizations, furthering WDAY's commitment to advancing the future of work.
On the same date, WDAY launched 12 new Industry Accelerators to help customers in sectors like banking, healthcare, and retail modernize their HR and finance operations. These solutions combine WDAY's platform with partner expertise to address industry-specific challenges and accelerate digital transformation.
In terms of the trailing-12-month Capex / Sales, WDAY's 3.05% is 44.3% higher than the 2.11% industry average. Similarly, its 75.77% trailing-12-month gross profit margin is 53% higher than the industry average of 49.54%. In addition, its 19.60% trailing-12-month net income margin is 441.5% higher than the industry average of 3.62%.
For the second quarter that ended on July 31, 2024, WDAY's total revenues increased 16.7% year-over-year to $2.09 billion. The company's net income rose 67.1% from the year-ago value to $132 million, and its non-GAAP operating income grew 23% year-over-year to $518 million.
For the same quarter, WDAY's non-GAAP net income per share increased 22.4% over the prior-year quarter to $1.75. In addition, its free cash flows stood at $516 million, up 43.3% from the previous year's quarter.
Analysts expect WDAY's revenue and EPS for the quarter ending October 31, 2024, are expected to increase 14.1% and 14.3% year-over-year to $2.13 billion and $1.75, respectively. WDAY surpassed the Street EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. Over the past year, the stock has gained 13.8% to close the last trading session at $244.41.
WDAY's strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. It has an overall rating of B, translating to a Buy in our proprietary rating system.
It is ranked #21 out of 130 stocks in the <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/software-application/">Software - Application</a> industry. It has an A grade for Growth and a B for Sentiment and Quality. Beyond what we stated above, we have also rated WDAY for Value, Momentum, and Stability. Get all ratings of WDAY <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/WDAY/">here</a>.
What To Do Next?
Discover 10 widely held stocks that our proprietary model shows have tremendous downside potential. Please make sure none of these "death trap" stocks are lurking in your portfolio:
<a href="https://report.stocknews.com/free-report/10-stocks-to-sell/?formplacement=artbotad_10sell">10 Stocks to SELL NOW! &gt;</a>

<hr />
GOOGL shares were trading at $165.96 per share on Tuesday afternoon, up $0.11 (+0.07%). Year-to-date, GOOGL has gained 19.10%, versus a 20.34% rise in the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index during the same period.
<hr><div style="clear:both;"></div> <h2>About the Author: Abhishek Bhuyan</h2> <img src='https:/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ABhuyan.jpg' style="float:left; padding:5px;width:125px;">Abhishek embarked on his professional journey as a financial journalist due to his keen interest in discerning the fundamental factors that influence the future performance of financial instruments.<a href="https://stocknews.com/authors/?author=abhishek-bhuyan">More...</a>The post <a href=https://stocknews.com/news/googl-ibm-wday-3-cloud-computing-stocks-you-cant-afford-to-miss/>3 Cloud Computing Stocks You Can't Afford to Miss</a> appeared first on <a href=https://stocknews.com/>StockNews.com</a>

3 Cloud Computing Stocks You Can't Afford to Miss

HashiCorp: Take The Easy Win

SMCI, CRWD among top S&P 500 Information Technology losers in Q3

The quantum computing market is experiencing robust growth with technological advancements, rapid adoption, and investments. Amid this backdrop, investors could buy high-potential quantum computing stocks Microsoft (MSFT), International Business Machines (IBM), and FormFactor (FORM) poised for substantial gains. Continue reading... The quantum computing market is rapidly developing and trending globally. The field has significant potential to transform computing by offering faster and more efficient solutions. This has resulted in increased interest in companies and rising investments, opening new avenues for market development.
Given the industry's rosy prospects, it could be wise to consider high-potential quantum computing stocks Microsoft Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">MSFT</a>), International Business Machines Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">IBM</a>), and FormFactor, Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/FORM/">FORM</a>) for potential gains.
Quantum computing has been revolutionizing computing methods lately. This cutting-edge technology, which uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than classical computers, is rapidly developing, with more and more companies operating in the market emphasizing quantum error correction.
Also, diverse industries like healthcare and pharma, automotive &amp; transportation, and financial services are actively adopting quantum computing for various applications.
The global quantum computing market is projected to grow to $12.62 billion by 2032, exhibiting growth at a noteworthy <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/quantum-computing-market-144888301.html">CAGR of 34.8%</a>. Factors influencing the market growth include rising adoption across various industries, technological advancements, rapidly surging investments, and growing strategic partnerships and collaborations.
Further, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/the-rise-of-quantum-computing">according to McKinsey</a>, as of December 2023, over $6.70 billion have been invested in the quantum computing space, and there were over 261 start-ups operating in the field. Also, it projects that by 2040, the estimated market size will reach between $45 billion and $131 billion.
Besides, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/steady-progress-in-approaching-the-quantum-advantage">public investments in the quantum market increased</a> by over 50% from 2022. Various countries, led by Germany, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, announced significant new funding for QT development, bringing the global public funding total to date to about $42 billion, indicating fueling investment and interest in the segment.
Hence, amid this backdrop, it could be wise to invest in high-potential stocks offering suitable returns, and capital appreciation prospects. Given these encouraging trends, let's delve deeper into the fundamentals of high-potential stocks such as MSFT, IBM, and FORM.
Microsoft Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">MSFT</a>)
MSFT develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions globally. The company operates through three segments: Productivity and Business Processes; Intelligent Cloud; and More Personal Computing. It offers Office, exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, office 365 Security and Compliance, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Office consumer services.
On September 29, MSFT and KT Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/KT/">KT</a>) entered into a five-year multibillion-dollar partnership to propel KT's AI and ICT (AICT) transformation and accelerate the advancement of AI services and innovation in Korea. The companies will work on the development of Korean sovereign cloud solutions and market launches to drive cloud and AI innovation for the public sector and regulated industries.
The strategic partnership will drive AI transformation for over 650 thousand businesses and 17 million consumers across Korea.
On August 8, MSFT and Palantir Technologies Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/PLTR/">PLTR</a>) expanded their partnership to deliver enhanced analytics and AI services to classified networks for critical national security operations. The companies collaborated to bring sophisticated and secure cloud, AI, and analytics capabilities to the U.S. Defense and Intelligence Community.
Palantir and MSFT have a long-standing alliance, and the new partnership will expand MSFT's capabilities and its reach in the defense sector. It will help accelerate the safe, secure, and responsible deployment of advanced AI capabilities for the US government.
MSFT's total revenues rose 15.2% year-over-year to $64.73 billion for the fourth quarter that ended June 30, 2024. The company's <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/operatingincome.asp">operating income</a> grew 15.1% from the year-ago value to $27.92 billion. Also, its net income and EPS totaled $22.04 billion and $2.95, reflecting an increase of 9.7% from the prior year's quarter, respectively.
In addition, the company's total assets came in at $512.16 billion as of June 30, 2024, versus $411.98 billion as of June 30, 2023.
Street expects MSFT's revenue and EPS for the first quarter (ended September 2024) to increase 14.2% and 3.7% year-over-year to $64.52 billion and $3.10, respectively. Furthermore, it has surpassed the consensus revenue and EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, which is impressive.
Shares of MSFT have surged 3.3% over the past month and 33.7% over the past year to close the last trading session at $430.30.
MSFT's robust growth prospects are reflected in its <a href="https://stocknews.com/powr-ratings/">POWR Ratings</a>. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, each weighted to an optimal degree.
The stock has a B grade for Stability and Quality. Within the B-rated <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/software-business/">Software - Business</a> industry, MSFT is ranked #22 out of 40 stocks.
<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/MSFT/">Click here</a> to access additional ratings of MSFT for Growth, Sentiment, Value, and Momentum.
International Business Machines Corporation (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">IBM</a>)
IBM offers integrated solutions and services internationally. The company operates in Software; Consulting; Infrastructure; and Financing segments. The company offers a hybrid cloud and AI platform that enables clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.
On September 23, IBM and NASA announced a new AI foundation model for a variety of weather and climate use cases, offering insights to the scientific, developer, and business communities. The model provides a flexible, scalable way to address a variety of challenges related to short-term weather and long-term climate projections.
On September 19, IBM and MSFT officially opened three new IBM-Microsoft Experience Zones within IBM's client innovation centers. The Experience Zones are designed to help global clients across industries find new ways to derive value from generative AI, hybrid cloud, and other Microsoft products and technologies.
Also, on September 9, IBM announced its intent to acquire Accelalpha, a global Oracle services provider. The strategic acquisition expands IBM's Oracle consulting expertise in supply chain and logistics, finance, enterprise performance management (EPM), and customer transformation.
For the second quarter that ended June 30, 2024, IBM's total revenue increased 1.9% year-over-year to $15.77 billion. Its non-GAAP gross profit grew 5.4% from the prior year's quarter to $9.12 billion. The company's non-GAAP income from continuing operations and EPS of $2.27 billion and $2.43 indicate growth of 13.6% and 11.5% year-over-year, respectively.
Furthermore, the company's adjusted EBITDA came in at $4 billion, up 8.1% from the from the prior-year quarter. Its free cash flow increased 24.3% from the year-ago value to $2.61 billion.
As per the full-year 2024 expectations, IBM continues to expect revenue growth consistent with its mid-single-digit model. And the company expects over $12 billion in free cash flow.
Analysts expect IBM's revenue and EPS for the third quarter (ended September 2024) to increase 2% and 1% year-over-year to $15.04 billion and $2.22, respectively. Also, the company has topped the consensus EPS estimates in all of the trailing four quarters.
IBM's shares have gained 16.5% over the past six months and 57% over the past year to close the last trading session at $221.08.
IBM's sound fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. The stock has an overall rating of B, which translates to a Buy in our proprietary rating system.
The stock has a B grade for Quality. Within the <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/technology-services/">Technology - Services</a> industry, IBM is ranked #18 among 75 stocks.
In addition to the POWR Ratings we've stated above, we also have IBM ratings for Momentum, Value, Stability, Growth, and Sentiment. Get all IBM ratings <a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/IBM/">here</a>.
FormFactor, Inc. (<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/FORM/">FORM</a>)
FORM designs manufactures, and sells probe cards, analytical probes, probe stations, metrology systems, thermal systems, and cryogenic systems to semiconductor companies and scientific institutions. The company operates through two segments: Probe Cards and Systems.
On February 28, FORM and Tabor Electronics LLC presented the Echo-5Q project, a demonstration of a full stack 5-Qubit Quantum Computer for research and education, leveraging a QPU supplied by QuantWare. The collaboration showed the ability of the partnering companies to support the quantum industry with their respective technologies.
During the second quarter, which ended June 29, 2024, FORM's revenues rose 26.7% year-over-year to $197.47 million. It reported a non-GAAP gross profit of $89.42 million, which is up 41.4% from the prior year's quarter. Also, the company's non-GAAP operating income increased 155.6% from the year-ago value to $28.54 million.
Furthermore, the company's non-GAAP net income of $27.32 million and $0.35 per share reflects growth of 143.1% and 150% from the prior year's quarter, respectively.
For the third quarter, FORM provided the following outlook: It expects revenue of $200 million, +/- $5 million. It expected non-GAAP net income per share of $0.31, +/- $0.04.
Analysts expect FORM's EPS for the third quarter (ended September 2024) to increase 42.4% year-over-year to $0.31, and its revenue is estimated to grow 16.7% year-over-year to $200.29 million for the same quarter. Moreover, the company surpassed the consensus revenue estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
FORM's stock has soared 36.5% over the past year to close the last trading session at $46.
FORM's POWR Ratings reflect its robust outlook. FORM has an A grade for Growth. It also has a B grade for Quality. It is ranked #15 among the 91 stocks in the <a href="https://stocknews.com/category/semiconductor-wireless-chip/">Semiconductor &amp; Wireless Chip</a> industry.
<a href="https://stocknews.com/stock/FORM/">Click here</a> to access additional FORM ratings for Value, Sentiment, Momentum, and Stability.
What To Do Next?
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<hr />
MSFT shares were trading at $423.44 per share on Tuesday afternoon, down $6.86 (-1.59%). Year-to-date, MSFT has gained 13.22%, versus a 21.16% rise in the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index during the same period.
<hr><div style="clear:both;"></div> <h2>About the Author: Rjkumari Saxena</h2> <img src='https:/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rajkumari-Saxena_Image-1.jpeg' style="float:left; padding:5px;width:125px;">Rajkumari started her career as a writer but gradually shifted her focus to financial journalism, leveraging her educational background in Commerce. Fascinated by the interplay of business and economic shifts in equities, she aspires to evolve as an analyst. With a knack for simplifying complex financial concepts, her mission is to empower investors with insights that lead to profitable decisions.<a href="https://stocknews.com/authors/?author=rajkumari-saxena">More...</a>The post <a href=https://stocknews.com/news/msft-ibm-form-kt-pltr-3-high-potential-stocks-in-the-quantum-computing-space/>3 High-Potential Stocks in the Quantum Computing Space</a> appeared first on <a href=https://stocknews.com/>StockNews.com</a>

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