Why IBM Stock Is Sinking Today

Core Viewpoint - IBM's stock is declining despite better-than-expected first-quarter results, with a notable drop of 7.5% in share price amid positive market performance [1][2]. Financial Performance - IBM reported non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.60 on sales of$14.54 billion for Q1, surpassing Wall Street expectations of $1.43 per share and$14.39 billion in revenue [3]. - Year-over-year sales increased by 0.6%, driven by a 7% growth in the software segment, particularly from the Red Hat business, while consulting revenue fell by 2% and infrastructure revenue decreased by 6% [4]. Future Guidance - For Q2, IBM is targeting sales between $16.4 billion and$16.75 billion, with management expecting at least 4% annual growth on a currency-adjusted basis and maintaining a sales growth guidance of approximately 5% for the year [5]. - The company also reiterated its free cash flow guidance of $13.5 billion [5]. Segment Insights - The Red Hat division is showing strong growth, contributing positively to the software segment, but there are signs of weakness in the consulting segment, indicating that AI-related growth may not be as robust as anticipated [6].