BUZZ-PREVIEW: IBM shares edge up; Q4 rev seen rising, EPS expected to fall

Shares in International Business Machines IBM.N up 0.2% on Wednesday ahead of quarterly report due after market close

Wall Street analysts see IBM reporting Q4 adj EPS of $3.75 vs $3.87 in year-ago quarter on rev of $17.54 bln vs $17.38 bln year-ago, according to data gathered by LSEG

In last 8 quarters IBM met or beat Street's EPS view every time while rev met or beat estimates just 4 times

In October, IBM had missed Q3 analysts' estimates for revenue on declines in the infrastructure business and weakness in its consulting segment as businesses cut back on expenses

IBM last traded at $226.04 vs median PT of $228.22, according to LSEG, which shows 20 analyst ratings: 3 'strong buy,' 5 'buy,; 9 'hold' and 3 sell recommendations

YTD shares up 2.9% after 4 consecutive years of gains including a 34.4% advance in 2024. In comparison the Dow .DJI is up 5.3% YTD after rising 12.9% in 2024

IBM options imply a 7.1% swing for the shares, in either direction, by Friday, well above the stock's 8-qtr post earnings 1-day avg move of 5.0%, according to Trade Alert