International Business MachinesJPMorgan upgraded IBM to Overweight and raised price target, citing software profit shift and future catalysts.

IBM shares rose 4.3% after JPMorgan analyst Brian Essex upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral and raised the price target to $291 from $270. Essex noted that software, while only about 45% of revenue, generates roughly two-thirds of consolidated profit, a shift he believes justifies a higher multiple. He pointed to second-half 2026 drivers including Red Hat and OpenShift migration momentum, AI-driven container adoption, and reaccelerating automation from the HashiCorp acquisition. The upgrade coincided with President Trump signing two executive orders supporting quantum computing and a federal move to post-quantum cryptography, reinforcing IBM's $10 billion, five-year quantum commitment. The stock later cooled to $264.15, up 4.1% from the previous close.
International Business MachinesJPMorgan upgraded IBM to Overweight and raised price target, citing software profit shift and future catalysts.
JPMorgan Chase & Co