IBM (NYSE:IBM) 주식

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 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which include 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. Primary products include its mainframes, Red Hat software, transaction processing software, and IT consulting.

Tech

$BTC

AAPL

AMGN

AMZN

BABA

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

GOOG

GOOGL

KWEB

MCHI

MSFT

NVDA

TSLA

XPEV

최근 몇 년 동안 성과가 좋았던 상위 주식과 자산들이 2025년 초에 주춤거리고 있다. 비트코인(CRYPTO: BTC)은 3개월 최저가로 떨어졌다.
2024년 상위 자산들의 연초 성과와 이들을 초과 성과내고 있는 자산들을 살펴보겠다.

2025년 중국 ETF 및 다우 주식의 상위 성과로, 비트코인과 매그 7이 안전 자산의 지위 상실

Specialty ETFs

Exclusives

ETFs

ARKQ

QCOM

QTUM

마이크로소프트(NASDAQ:MSFT)는 세계 최초의 양자 칩 마요라나(Majorana) 1의 발표로 투자 세계를 떠들썩하게 만들었다. 이 혁신적인 기술에 대한 기대감이 커지면서, 양자 컴퓨팅과 반도체 발전에 노출된 ETF들이 투자자들의 관심을 끌고 있다.

독점: 마이크로소프트의 양자 기술 도약에 포지셔닝이 된 3가지 ETF

Markets

PLTR

클라우드 소프트웨어 리더인 세일즈포스(NYSE:CRM)가 인공지능(AI) 개발을 강화하기 위해 사우디아라비아에 5억 달러를 투자할 계획을 발표했다. 무슨 일이 있었나: 세일즈포스는 아마존(NASDAQ:AMZN) 웹 서비스(AWS)와의 전략적 제휴를 통해 하이퍼포스(Hyperforce) 플랫폼 아키텍처를 사우디아라비아에 배포할 예정이다.

세일즈포스와 AWS, 사우디아라비아에서 AI 개발을 촉진하기 위해 5억 달러를 약속

International Business Machines Corporation Common Stock

International Business Machines Corp

iShares Trust iBonds Dec 2023 Term Muni Bd ETF

iShares Trust iBonds Dec 2024 Term Muni Bd ETF

iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF

iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term Muni Bond ETF

iShares iBonds Dec 2027 Term Muni Bond ETF

iShares iBonds Dec 2028 Term Muni Bond ETF

iShares Trust iShares iBonds Dec 2029 Term Muni Bond ETF

iShares Trust iShares iBonds Dec 2030 Term Muni Bond ETF

Many of the top-performing stocks and assets in recent years have stumbled at the start of 2025, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) dropping to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43987636/bitcoin-tumbles-below-85000-amid-president-trumps-eu-tariff-threats">a three-month low.</a>
Here's a look at the year-to-date performance of top 2024 assets and what's outperforming them.
What Happened: Bitcoin was a top performer in 2024, rising over 100% and hitting multiple all-time highs throughout the year, including shortly after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidency.
While Bitcoin rebounded in January, the leading cryptocurrency has since reversed course, down 10.4% year-to-date in 2025. Once seen as a hedge against interest rates, inflation, and macroeconomic concerns, Bitcoin is now declining alongside other traditionally perceived safe-haven assets.
Magnificent Seven stocks, which were also top performers in recent years, have also been underperformers in 2025, compared to the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>). Here are the year-to-date returns.
<ul>
<li>Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>): -2.4%</li>
<li>Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>): -5.3%</li>
<li>Alphabet Inc (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>): -10.4%</li>
<li>Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>): +9.9%</li>
<li>Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>): -6.4%</li>
<li>NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>): -12.8%</li>
<li>Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>): -24.5%</li>
</ul>
Compare that to the SPY, which is trading nearly even with its starting year price with a current share price of $585.03. At the time of writing, the ETF is up 39 cents on the year, or 0.07%.
Technology stocks have also outperformed in recent years, helping boost the investment returns of the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>). The ETF, which is heavily weighted in tech stocks, is down 2.0% year-to-date in 2025.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/02/44043021/tesla-the-only-magnificent-seven-stock-in-freefall-can-it-reverse-course">Tesla: The Only Magnificent Seven Stock In Freefall &#8211; Can It Reverse Course?</a>
The Outperformers: While Bitcoin, tech and the Magnificent Seven stocks are down year-to-date in 2025, there are several places that are outperforming the broad market.
One of the top places is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, tracked by the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>). The ETF is up 2.1% year-to-date in 2025, outperforming the SPY and QQQ. This often happens during periods of economic uncertainty or when industrial and manufacturing investments are stronger than technology investments.
Of the 30 Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks, 19 are positive year-to-date in 2025—a sharp contrast to the Magnificent Seven, where only one of seven stocks is in the green this year.
Among the Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks, these are the top gainers year-to-date that are each up by double digits:
<ul>
<li>Amgen Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>): +17.5%</li>
<li>International Business Machines (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>): +16.4%</li>
<li>3M Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MMM#NYSE">MMM</a>): +14.2%</li>
<li>Coca-Cola (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>): +13.7%</li>
<li>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>): +12.8%</li>
<li>Visa Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>): +10.9%</li>
</ul>
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>, NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) shares are up 12.3% year-to-date in 2025, despite struggles from its top portfolio holding, Apple. The Warren Buffett-led conglomerate has a history of outperforming the S&amp;P 500, and 2025 could be another strong year.
Perhaps among the bigger surprises for outperformers in 2025 are Chinese stocks. Using <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent022825&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">the Benzinga Pro </a>screener tool and looking for the top performing stocks year-to-date with market capitalizations of $1 billion or more revealed Xpeng Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPEV#NYSE">XPEV</a>) and Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) among the top performers up 82% and 57% respectively.
Chinese ETFs are also performing well in 2025, here are the returns of some of the largest:
<ul>
<li>KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KWEB#NYSE">KWEB</a>): +17.4%</li>
<li>iShares China Larce-Cap ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FXI#NYSE">FXI</a>): +17.2%</li>
<li>iShares MSCI China ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCHI#NASDAQ">MCHI</a>): +15.9%</li>
</ul>
The strong returns of several Chinese stocks and the ETFs come as the country faces<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market"> proposed additional tariffs</a> from President Donald Trump.
With only two months of 2025 behind us, the landscape could change significantly in the next 10 months.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/01/43403758/exclusive-this-magnificent-7-stock-will-feel-the-pinch-of-feds-rate-decision-poll-shows">EXCLUSIVE: This &#8216;Magnificent 7&#8217; Stock Will Feel The Pinch Of Fed&#8217;s Rate Decision, Poll Shows</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Bitcoin, Magnificent 7 Lose Safe-Haven Status In 2025 As China ETFs, Dow Stocks Outperform

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish 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://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 22 uncommon options trades for IBM.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 50% bullish and 36%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 13 are puts, for a total amount of $760,681, and 9 are calls, for a total amount of $491,849.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $160.0 to $390.0 for IBM over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</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 $160.0 to $390.0, over the past month.
<h3>IBM Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740765679_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 align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$5.4</td>
<td>$5.0</td>
<td>$5.4</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$135.0K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
<td align="right">252</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$5.9</td>
<td>$5.45</td>
<td>$5.9</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$119.5K</td>
<td>169</td>
<td align="right">264</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$36.4</td>
<td>$34.85</td>
<td>$35.5</td>
<td>$260.00</td>
<td>$106.5K</td>
<td>432</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$30.0</td>
<td>$29.3</td>
<td>$29.81</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$98.8K</td>
<td>50</td>
<td align="right">33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$94.35</td>
<td>$90.95</td>
<td>$93.04</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$93.0K</td>
<td>473</td>
<td align="right">0</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 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which include 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. Primary products include its mainframes, Red Hat software, transaction processing software, and IT consulting.
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 2,211,049, with IBM's price down by -1.8%, positioned at $248.68.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 54 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for IBM</h3>
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $272.8.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $228. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Jefferies continues to hold a Hold rating for IBM, targeting a price of $270. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from RBC Capital continues to hold a Outperform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $276. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Oppenheimer has revised its rating downward to Outperform, adjusting the price target to $320. 
&#x2A; An analyst from B of A Securities has decided to maintain their Buy rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $270. 
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://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Options

Check Out What Whales Are Doing With IBM

The companies are expected to integrate Juniper's Mist AI and IBM watsonx with the aim to address the complexities of managing IT networks that can help improve user experiences and lower operational costs.
The latest collaboration will focus on bringing Mist AI, a key part of Juniper's AI-Native Networking Platform that uses AI to optimize the E2E client-to-cloud experience across wireless, wired, SD-WAN, data center and security experiences, with IBM watsonx, IBM's portfolio of AI products designed to accelerate the impact of generative AI and drive productivity in core enterprise workflows.

News

JNPR

Juniper Networks, IBM Plan To Expand Collaboration Around Joint Sales, Marketing And Product Integration Efforts

IBM To Acquire DataStax; Financial Terms Not Disclosed

<ul>
<li>Agreement will see Riyadh Air leverage IBM watsonx and&nbsp;IBM Consulting solutions to drive Riyadh Air's vision as the world's first digital native airline</li>
<li>The collaboration aims to help power the Saudi Arabian airline's mission to launch flights in 2025 while offering an elevated guest experience</li>
</ul>

Riyadh Air Taps IBM For AI Innovation, Aiming To Redefine Global Air Travel Standards

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has set the investment world abuzz with the announcement of its first-of-a-kind <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43844926/quantum-computing-stocks-rgti-qubt-ionq-qbts-cheer-microsofts-majorana-1-launch-satya-nadella-calls-it-a-physics-and-fabrication-breakthrough">quantum chip, Majorana 1</a>. As excitement builds around the breakthrough, ETFs with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs">exposure to quantum computing</a> and semiconductor advancements are drawing increased investor interest.
Investors looking to capitalize on the quantum computing revolution can explore several ETFs with exposure to key players in this space.
Defiance Quantum ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QTUM#NYSE">QTUM</a>)
QTUM provides exposure to companies engaged in quantum computing, AI, and machine learning. With holdings in Microsoft, IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), and Alphabet (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>), it is well-positioned to benefit from advancements in quantum technology.
Defiance ETFs CEO Sylvia Jablonski highlighted how Majorana 1 has already driven investor interest in QTUM. "The good thing about that ETF is it holds the large-cap, quality, balance-sheet-established players like MSFT but mixes in pure plays like IonQ and Rigetti as well."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43854334/microsofts-quantum-leap-will-majorana-1-lift-msft-stock">Microsoft&#8217;s Quantum Leap: Will Majorana 1 Lift MSFT Stock?</a>
Global X Artificial Intelligence &amp; Technology ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIQ#NASDAQ">AIQ</a>)
AIQ invests in firms at the forefront of AI and computational advancements, including Microsoft. With quantum computing playing a crucial role in AI's evolution, the fund could see increased investor interest.
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NASDAQ">SMH</a>)
While primarily focused on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors">semiconductor companies</a>, SMH includes exposure to firms developing quantum computing hardware. Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) and Broadcom are among its top holdings. Given that quantum computing relies on advanced semiconductor technology, any advancements in this sector could indirectly boost the ETF.
Sylvia Jablonski on the ETF Impact of Microsoft's Majorana 1
Jablonski weighed in on the implications of Microsoft's quantum computing advancement, emphasizing its significance for ETFs in the space.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft's Chairman and CEO, described the chip as a "physics and fabrication breakthrough" rather than a pure quantum computing leap. He compared it to the transistor moment of quantum computing, a milestone that could pave the way for the technology's practical application.
Jablonski reinforced this view, stating, "He's saying that we are at a key inflection point where quantum computing transitions from being experimental to practical and scalable. It reminds me of the ChatGPT moment."
Jablonski believes that Microsoft's breakthrough could have lasting implications. "Microsoft's breakthrough accelerates quantum error correction and scalability. It could lead to sustained confidence in the sector. When you have quality companies like Alphabet, Microsoft, and IBM blessing these innovations, that bodes well for the consumer and his or her sentiment on the quantum sector."
According to Jablonski, QTUM ETF balances both risk and reward effectively. "We have both—having the large caps serves as a ballast for risk on volatility on the small caps."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/02/43885743/microsofts-quantum-leap-hits-a-technical-snag-death-cross-looms-large">Microsoft&#8217;s Quantum Leap Hits A Technical Snag: Death Cross Looms Large</a>
Are We Closer to Real-World Applications?
Jablonski sees practical applications emerging sooner than skeptics expect. "Microsoft's error correction claims, if validated, represent significant progress. Quantum computing is already used in certain workflows, risk analysis, supply chain, and logistics cases."
Beyond quantum computing, AI-driven ETFs are seeing strong momentum, particularly in automation, robotics, and generative AI. "We also think that 6G and the future of tech connectivity will be a big topic this year," Jablonski noted.
The Road Ahead
Although high error rates and commercialization challenges still limit quantum computing's immediate applications, Microsoft's Majorana 1 chip signals a major step forward. With ETFs offering a diversified approach to investing in this space, investors can position themselves to benefit from the quantum computing revolution while mitigating risks associated with individual stocks.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43922550/politics-meets-profit-defiance-etfs-files-for-mag7-themed-etf-magt">Defiance Seeks SEC Approval For ETF Tied To Trump Policies: &#8216;You Could Have A Nice Run, But&#8230;&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

EXCLUSIVE: 3 ETFs Positioned For Microsoft's Quantum Breakthrough

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://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 33 uncommon options trades for IBM.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 42% bullish and 45%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $706,919, and 24 are calls, for a total amount of $1,355,953.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $165.0 to $310.0 for IBM during the past quarter. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of IBM stands at 900.48, with a total volume reaching 3,094.00. 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 $165.0 to $310.0, 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/2025/1740428136_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</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 align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$32.45</td>
<td>$31.4</td>
<td>$31.75</td>
<td>$240.00</td>
<td>$317.3K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$78.55</td>
<td>$77.65</td>
<td>$77.6</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$155.2K</td>
<td>421</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$5.5</td>
<td>$4.55</td>
<td>$5.03</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$141.8K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$5.5</td>
<td>$5.05</td>
<td>$5.05</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$140.9K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td align="right">567</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$24.3</td>
<td>$23.9</td>
<td>$23.9</td>
<td>$280.00</td>
<td>$100.3K</td>
<td>33</td>
<td align="right">84</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 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which include 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. Primary products include its mainframes, Red Hat software, transaction processing software, and IT consulting.
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>Present Market Standing of IBM</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 1,795,117, the price of IBM is up 0.37% at $262.44. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 58 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What The Experts Say On IBM</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $267.6.
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;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Neutral rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $244. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley persists with their Equal-Weight rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $228. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from RBC Capital continues to hold a Outperform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $276. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Jefferies continues to hold a Hold rating for IBM, targeting a price of $270. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Oppenheimer has revised its rating downward to Outperform, adjusting the price target to $320. 
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://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

IBM's Options: A Look at What the Big Money is Thinking

IBM's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) short percent of float has fallen 7.02% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 19.62 million shares sold short, which is 2.12% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 3.4 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?utm_source=insights&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">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?utm_source=insights&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>IBM Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740070824_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for IBM has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less 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://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, IBM's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 3.88%, 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?utm_source=insights&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">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

Trading Ideas

What Does the Market Think About IBM?

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 10 extraordinary options activities for IBM. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 40% leaning bullish and 40% bearish. Among these notable options, 3 are puts, totaling $132,681, and 7 are calls, amounting to $321,088.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $235.0 to $270.0 for IBM during the past quarter. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for IBM options trades today is 1835.62 with a total volume of 575.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for IBM's big money trades within a strike price range of $235.0 to $270.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>IBM 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1739981735_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 align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$3.55</td>
<td>$3.25</td>
<td>$3.65</td>
<td>$262.50</td>
<td>$72.7K</td>
<td>739</td>
<td align="right">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$5.9</td>
<td>$5.6</td>
<td>$5.68</td>
<td>$257.50</td>
<td>$56.8K</td>
<td>797</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$12.5</td>
<td>$11.15</td>
<td>$11.5</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$55.0K</td>
<td>8.4K</td>
<td align="right">42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$13.05</td>
<td>$12.95</td>
<td>$12.95</td>
<td>$270.00</td>
<td>$50.8K</td>
<td>342</td>
<td align="right">83</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$13.05</td>
<td>$12.75</td>
<td>$12.9</td>
<td>$270.00</td>
<td>$50.3K</td>
<td>342</td>
<td align="right">5</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 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which include 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. Primary products include its mainframes, Red Hat software, transaction processing software, and IT consulting.
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>Present Market Standing of IBM</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 648,867, with IBM's price down by -0.48%, positioned at $261.81.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 63 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for IBM</h3>
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $255.4.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Buy rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $260. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from BMO Capital continues to hold a Market Perform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $280. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Jefferies persists with their Hold rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $270. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley persists with their Equal-Weight rating on IBM, maintaining a target price of $217. 
&#x2A; An analyst from RBC Capital downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $250. 
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>.

IBM's Options Frenzy: What You Need to Know

Benchmark analyst Cody Acree reiterated Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) with a Buy and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AMD/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">$170&nbsp;price target</a>.
Acree recently hosted AMD&#8217;s Jean Hu, CFO, for a discussion with investors. He came away with further conviction in AMD&#8217;s strong fundamental position, its increasing competitiveness in the AI market, and its continued market share gains in both the Client and Server markets versus Intel Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>).
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43728563/amc-networks-q4-earnings-subscriber-growth-cash-flow-despite-revenue-declines-impairment-charges-free-cash-flow-outlook" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMC Networks Q4 Earnings: Streaming Revenue And Subscriber Growth Cushions Revenue Decline</a>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="650" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/18102022/newplot-12.png" alt="" class="wp-image-787133" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/18102022/newplot-12.png 750w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/18102022/newplot-12-300x260.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>
The analyst noted a focus on the company&#8217;s AI ramp of its next-generation MI350 GPU with a pulled-ahead schedule of mid-year 2025 versus the prior schedule of the second half. With the transition, AMD expects first-half 2025 Data Center revenue to be flat due to softer seasonality and its Instinct revenue to be flat as customers wait for the launch of the new platform.
AMD broadly expects MI350 to be much more directly competitive with Nvidia Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) Blackwell, with MI400 likely to be technically competitive with Rubin. Nvidia&#8217;s Blackwell delays and accelerated move-up of the MI350 launch proved that AMD is closing the competitive gap.
AMD noted ASICs only make up about 20% of the total AI silicon opportunity, thereby remaining adamant about not changing its focus priority from its primary GPU roadmap.
The analyst said that the company&#8217;s Client business continues to look solid as AMD gains market share momentum in both the Desktop and Notebook markets.
At a high level, for 2025, AMD is forecasting its PC TAM to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage year-on-year. However, based on the breadth of its client CPU portfolio and strong design win momentum, the company expects to grow its Client segment revenue well ahead of the market.
While the company expects its Client business to see normal first-quarter softer seasonality, in 2025, it is benefiting from its first win at Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) in the commercial client space.
In the server market, AMD continues to benefit from the strong adoption of its Gen 4 and new Gen 5 designs.
The company is seeing its EPYC processors gaining traction thanks to Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>), Dell, and Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>).
Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Amazon Web Services, Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), Alphabet Inc (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, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) launched over 100 AMD general-purpose and AI instances in just the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, EPYC CPU sales grew by a strong double-digit percentage annually, thanks to high-volume deployments with ServiceNow Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NYSE">NOW</a>), Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), Visa Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>), and others. Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) exclusively used MI300X to power their Llama 405B frontier model on meta.ai.
Microsoft leveraged MI300X to power multiple GPT-4-based Copilot services.
With over 100 customer engagements in AI, AMD expanded its ROCm software suite.
International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), DigitalOcean Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOCN#NYSE">DOCN</a>), and several other AI-focused Cloud Service Providers have begun deploying AMD Instinct accelerators for new instances. IBM also announced plans to enable MI300X on their watsonx.ai and data platform for training and deploying enterprise-ready generative AI applications.
AMD began volume production of MI325X in the fourth quarter. MI325 delivers significant performance and TCO advantages compared to competitive offerings, including H100.
AMD has passed key milestones and received unconditional regulatory approvals regarding its acquisition of ZT Systems. Additionally, AMD expects to divest ZT Systems&#8217; data center infrastructure production capabilities.
While industry capacity will likely remain tight, AMD noted it has successfully secured sufficient wafer capacity to support its customers&#8217; planned ramps through the end of this year and into 2026.
Price Action: AMD stock is up 1.10% at $114.35 at the last check on Tuesday.
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43727973/taiwan-semiconductor-eyes-us-expansion-amid-taiwans-push-for-bigger-investments-and-advanced-chip-production" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor Eyes US Expansion Amid Push for Bigger Investments and Advanced Chip Production</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

CSCO

DELL

DOCN

INTC

SMCI

AMD Closing Competitive GPU Gap With Nvidia, Gains Market Share From Intel In Client And Server Markets: Analyst

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>SMCI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/14/25</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$38.4K</td>
<td>5.6K</td>
<td>34.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>INTC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$21.50</td>
<td>$25.8K</td>
<td>15.8K</td>
<td>9.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/14/25</td>
<td>$320.00</td>
<td>$302.2K</td>
<td>5.5K</td>
<td>8.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$255.00</td>
<td>$37.0K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PLTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$38.0K</td>
<td>17.6K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RGTI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$15.00</td>
<td>$27.0K</td>
<td>10.9K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$28.5K</td>
<td>31.9K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$190.00</td>
<td>$2.8 million</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SOUN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$37.00</td>
<td>$66.9K</td>
<td>7.7K</td>
<td>704</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MARA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$15.00</td>
<td>$55.5K</td>
<td>5.9K</td>
<td>685</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on February 14, 2025. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $40.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 16 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $38.4K, with a price of $128.0 per contract. There were 5657 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 34060 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 9 day(s) on February 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 275 contract(s) at a $21.50 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 $25.8K, with a price of $94.0 per contract. There were 15857 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 9675 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on February 14, 2025. Parties traded 785 contract(s) at a $320.00 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 $302.2K, with a price of $385.0 per contract. There were 5574 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 8216 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 9 day(s) on February 21, 2025. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $255.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $37.0K, with a price of $370.0 per contract. There were 2256 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2848 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For PLTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 37 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $120.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $38.0K, with a price of $760.0 per contract. There were 17635 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2804 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For RGTI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGTI#NASDAQ">RGTI</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 338 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 60 contract(s) at a $15.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.0K, with a price of $450.0 per contract. There were 10927 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2007 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• 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 93 day(s) on May 16, 2025. Parties traded 39 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.5K, with a price of $735.0 per contract. There were 31971 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1445 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For TSM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 128 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 1000 contract(s) at a $190.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $2.8 million, with a price of $2862.0 per contract. There were 2077 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1053 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SOUN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 338 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $37.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $66.9K, with a price of $223.0 per contract. There were 7711 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 704 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MARA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MARA#NASDAQ">MARA</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 37 day(s) on March 21, 2025. Parties traded 500 contract(s) at a $15.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 18 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $55.5K, with a price of $111.0 per contract. There were 5953 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 685 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 about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

MARA

MSTR

RGTI

SOUN

10 Information Technology Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

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 10 uncommon options trades for IBM.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 40% bullish and 50%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $101,145, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $626,690.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $160.0 to $265.0 for IBM over the recent three months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of IBM stands at 1245.43, with a total volume reaching 1,892.00. 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 $160.0 to $265.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>IBM Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1739372438_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 align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$98.0</td>
<td>$98.0</td>
<td>$98.0</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$196.0K</td>
<td>494</td>
<td align="right">20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$71.2</td>
<td>$69.7</td>
<td>$70.0</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$175.0K</td>
<td>394</td>
<td align="right">25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$1.45</td>
<td>$1.37</td>
<td>$1.45</td>
<td>$260.00</td>
<td>$72.5K</td>
<td>3.4K</td>
<td align="right">514</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$15.35</td>
<td>$14.9</td>
<td>$15.35</td>
<td>$265.00</td>
<td>$50.6K</td>
<td>193</td>
<td align="right">33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$15.3</td>
<td>$14.9</td>
<td>$15.3</td>
<td>$265.00</td>
<td>$50.4K</td>
<td>193</td>
<td align="right">66</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 300,000 people. The company has a robust roster of business partners to service its clients, which include 95% of all Fortune 500 companies. Primary products include its mainframes, Red Hat software, transaction processing software, and IT consulting.
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>Currently trading with a volume of 194,155, the IBM's price is down by -0.51%, now at $253.39. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 70 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on IBM</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $273.6.
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 Oppenheimer has revised its rating downward to Outperform, adjusting the price target to $320. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from BMO Capital continues to hold a Market Perform rating for IBM, targeting a price of $280. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Morgan Stanley has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $228. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from B of A Securities keeps a Buy rating on IBM with a target price of $270. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Jefferies has decided to maintain their Hold rating on IBM, which currently sits at a price target of $270. 
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>.

A Closer Look at IBM's Options Market Dynamics

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) shares are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/movers" rel="noreferrer noopener">trading higher on Tuesday.</a>
Oppenheimer analyst Param Singh initiated coverage on IBM with an Outperform rating and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/IBM/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a price forecast of $320.</a>
Per Singh, the tech behemoth will experience sustained double-digit revenue growth in its software portfolio, mainly due to Red Hat offerings.
Red Hat has recently broadened its product offerings through several partner integrations, which could drive high-teens to 20% growth for the segment, surpassing consensus expectations, Singh writes.
Additionally, the analyst highlights that IBM has the opportunity to expand cross-selling once the HashiCorp deal is finalized.
The analyst also sees an inflection in consulting growth in the second half of the year, driven by a recovery in application development and management.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/previews/25/02/43630003/lyft-q4-earnings-preview-streak-of-revenue-eps-beats-on-the-line-after-rival-ubers-strong-fourth-quarter" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lyft Q4 Earnings Preview: Streak Of Revenue, EPS Beats On The Line After Rival Uber&#8217;s Strong Fourth Quarter</a>
Additionally, IBM&#8217;s potential in AI applications, including Generative AI, provides further growth opportunities.
This combination of factors will lead to stronger expansion with existing customers, improved margins, and a higher stock valuation as company&#8217;s software pivot gains recognition, the analyst adds.
The analyst writes that IBM&#8217;s successful shift to a software-focused company has been overlooked and forecasts revenue and margin growth to surpass consensus.
The analyst notes the stock is still mainly covered by IT hardware/services analysts.
Price Action: IBM shares are trading higher by 2.2% to $254.75 at last check Tuesday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42015996/tesla-to-partner-with-lyft-uber-analyst-says-rising-conviction-for-partnership-in-future" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla To Partner With Lyft, Uber? Analyst Has &#8216;Rising Conviction&#8217; For Future Partnership</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock.

Analyst Color

Equities

Initiation

General

'Not Your Father's IBM' - Analyst Says Company's Shift To A Software-Centric Company Is Overlooked

WIIM

IBM shares are trading higher after Oppenheimer initiated coverage on the stock with an Outperform rating and announced a price target of $320.

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul>
<li>Goldman Sachs analyst Richard Law initiated coverage on Silence Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLN#NASDAQ">SLN</a>) with a Sell rating and announced a price target of $6. Silence Therapeutics shares closed at $4.92 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SLN/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Roth MKM analyst George Kelly initiated coverage on Gaia, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GAIA#NASDAQ">GAIA</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $10. Gaia shares closed at $5.00 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GAIA/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Goldman Sachs analyst Gerry Sweeney initiated coverage on AZZ Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZZ#NYSE">AZZ</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $108. AZZ shares closed at $97.55 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AZZ/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Jefferies analyst Glen Santangelo initiated coverage on Waystar Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WAY#NASDAQ">WAY</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $51. Waystar shares closed at $41.45 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WAY/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Oppenheimer analyst Param Singh initiated coverage on International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) with an Outperform rating and announced a price target of $320. IBM shares closed at $249.27 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/IBM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
</ul>
Considering buying AZZ stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="625" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11075847/image-2-25-1024x625.png" alt="" class="wp-image-776492" style="width:601px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11075847/image-2-25-1024x625.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11075847/image-2-25-300x183.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11075847/image-2-25-768x469.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11075847/image-2-25.png 1091w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Read This Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43592071/top-3-tech-stocks-that-may-jump-this-month">Top 3 Tech Stocks That May Jump This Month</a></li>
</ul>

Pre-Market Outlook

GAIA

STLD

This IBM Analyst Begins Coverage On A Bullish Note; Here Are Top 5 Initiations For Tuesday

Oppenheimer analyst Param Singh initiates coverage on IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) with a Outperform rating and announces Price Target of $320.

Oppenheimer Initiates Coverage On IBM with Outperform Rating, Announces Price Target of $320

Cloud software leader,&nbsp;Salesforce (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>), has declared its intention&nbsp;to invest $500 million in&nbsp;Saudi Arabia to bolster artificial intelligence (AI) development.
What Happened: Salesforce will roll out Hyperforce, its platform architecture, in Saudi Arabia in a strategic alliance with Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>). The company announced that it will collaborate with Capgemini, Deloitte, Globant, IBM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NASDAQ">IBM</a>) and PwC to expand the use of Agentforce, its customer service agent solution, and introduce Arabic language support for its AI-related product suite.
The announcement was made at the LEAP 2025 global tech event in Saudi Arabia, where the country secured $14.9 billion in fresh AI investments. This initiative aligns with Salesforce&#8217;s broader strategy in the region, which involves setting up a regional headquarters in Riyadh and equipping 30,000 Saudi citizens with new skills by 2030.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43586484/google-deepmind-ceo-calls-deepseek-ai-best-work-from-china-but-says-hype-is-overblown-theres-no-actual-new-scientific-advance">Google DeepMind CEO Calls DeepSeek AI &#8216;Best Work&#8217; From China, But Says Hype Is Overblown: &#8216;There&#8217;s No Actual New Scientific Advance&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters:&nbsp;This investment comes on the heels of Salesforce&#8217;s recent strategic moves in the AI sector. Last week,&nbsp;the company cut 1,000 jobs while simultaneously<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43452478/salesforce-cuts-1000-jobs-but-ramps-up-hiring-for-ai-sales-roles"> ramping up hiring for AI sales roles</a>. The company was said to be hiring 2,000 employees for sales roles to promote its artificial intelligence products, as announced by CEO Marc Benioff in December.
This latest investment in Saudi Arabia underscores Salesforce&#8217;s commitment to expanding its AI capabilities and footprint globally. The company is not just focussing on enhancing its AI initiatives but is also concerned about its environmental impact. Yesterday, it launched a tool, AI Energy Score, in partnership with Hugging Face, Cohere, and Carnegie Mellon University, to evaluate the relative energy efficiency of different AI models. Boris Gamazaychikov, Head of AI Sustainability at Salesforce emphasized how important it is have to a standardized approach to measure and disclose such information. 
Meanwhile, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives identified Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) and Salesforce as the leading AI software investments for the year. He stated in a note that 2025 will experience a surge in enterprise consumption, broad adoption of large language models (LLMs), and an expansion of generative AI applications.
<ul>
<li>READ ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43476925/buying-palantir-stock-today-is-like-buying-tesla-stock-10-years-ago-dan-ives-says-this-could-be-a-1-trillion-market-cap">Buying Palantir Stock Today Is Like Buying Tesla Stock 10 Years Ago, Dan Ives Says: &#8216;This Could Be A $1 Trillion Market Cap&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Salesforce And AWS Pledge $500M To Boost AI Development In Saudi Arabia

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>INTC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/14/25</td>
<td>$18.50</td>
<td>$103.8K</td>
<td>6.0K</td>
<td>6.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PLTR</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$117.00</td>
<td>$25.7K</td>
<td>107</td>
<td>5.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QCOM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$76.0K</td>
<td>15.4K</td>
<td>5.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>12/18/26</td>
<td>$2.00</td>
<td>$50.3K</td>
<td>9.2K</td>
<td>4.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EVLV</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$4.00</td>
<td>$31.5K</td>
<td>786</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSM</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/07/25</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
<td>$158.6K</td>
<td>905</td>
<td>912</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$51.6K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
<td>887</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>APP</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$380.00</td>
<td>$30.0K</td>
<td>656</td>
<td>773</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IBM</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/14/25</td>
<td>$247.50</td>
<td>$31.2K</td>
<td>264</td>
<td>719</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRWD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$1.5 million</td>
<td>143</td>
<td>711</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For INTC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 7 day(s) on February 14, 2025. This event was a transfer of 4924 contract(s) at a $18.50 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 45 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $103.8K, with a price of $21.0 per contract. There were 6088 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6388 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For PLTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 136 contract(s) at a $117.00 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 $25.7K, with a price of $189.0 per contract. There were 107 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5907 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For QCOM (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 14 day(s) on February 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 317 contract(s) at a $170.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $76.0K, with a price of $240.0 per contract. There were 15468 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5797 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with neutral sentiment. It expires in 679 day(s) on December 18, 2026. Parties traded 4 contract(s) at a $2.00 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 $50.3K, with a price of $12578.0 per contract. There were 9284 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4294 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For EVLV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EVLV#NASDAQ">EVLV</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 14 day(s) on February 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 1051 contract(s) at a $4.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 74 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.5K, with a price of $30.0 per contract. There were 786 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1051 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TSM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 28 day(s) on March 7, 2025. Parties traded 260 contract(s) at a $215.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 37 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $158.6K, with a price of $610.0 per contract. There were 905 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 912 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 trade that happens to be bearish, is expiring today. Parties traded 33 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $51.6K, with a price of $1565.0 per contract. There were 2417 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 887 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For APP (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APP#NASDAQ">APP</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $380.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.0K, with a price of $150.0 per contract. There were 656 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 773 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 put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on February 14, 2025. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $247.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.2K, with a price of $156.0 per contract. There were 264 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 719 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 trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 69 day(s) on April 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 700 contract(s) at a $400.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $1.5 million, with a price of $2220.0 per contract. There were 143 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 711 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.

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

Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider expressed views on International Business Machines Corporation&#8216;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) Investor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ibm/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">Day, which took place on February 4</a>.
The analyst maintained a Buy rating and a $275 price forecast, considering the company remains underappreciated in the TMT sector and offers discovery value, especially for long-only investors.
The analyst notes that IBM projects over 5% total revenue growth from 2025 to 2027, including M&amp;A, with pre-tax margin and FCF growth <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">outpacing revenue growth</a>.
The analyst notes the stock should continue to rise, as IBM has outlined a credible strategy to sustain accelerated long-term Software revenue growth of around 10%, surpassing their previous expectation of high-single digits for 2025-2027.
Moreover, Schneider notes that IBM raised its medium-term Software revenue growth target to 10%, up from mid-single digits, with Red Hat seeing mid-teens growth.
The analyst sees a potential upside in IBM&#8217;s Software growth and margins, fueled by increasing demand for containerization, OpenShift, Ansible, and RHEL.
Additionally, IBM&#8217;s early leadership in GenAI, with ~$1 billion in Software GenAI bookings to date, presents further growth opportunities, adds the analyst.
Also, the analyst notes that IBM expects Consulting business to outperform the market through share gains, and Infrastructure business is forecasted to grow 1%-3%, on mainframe and storage growth.
Overall, the analyst notes the company is on track to achieve long-term growth driven by stronger software growth and market share gains in the consulting business.
Last month, IBM reported fourth-quarter earnings of&nbsp;$3.92&nbsp;per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of&nbsp;$3.75. Quarterly revenue came in at $17.55 billion,&nbsp;which beat the analyst <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43321676/ibm-reports-q4" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate of&nbsp;$17.54 billion</a>.
Investors can gain exposure to the stock via First Trust NASDAQ Technology Dividend Index Fund (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDIV#NASDAQ">TDIV</a>) and FT Vest Technology Dividend Target Income ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDVI#BATS">TDVI</a>).
Price Action: IBM shares are down 0.80% at $262.33 at the last check Wednesday.
Read Next:
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Photo via Shutterstock.

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