Latest news with #IBM
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wedbush's Ives raises stock price target on this 'AI winner'
-- Wedbush analyst Dan Ives raised his price target on IBM (NYSE:IBM) shares to $325 from $300, a move driven by increased confidence in the company's position as a major beneficiary of the AI revolution. IBM remains one of Wedbush's top software picks and is featured on its 'IVES AI 30' list, which focuses on "AI winners." 'We believe IBM is still under owned and in the early stages of a renaissance of growth with AI the key driver,' Ives said in a Friday report. Despite a strong run so far in 2025, Ives sees further upside tied to the company's expanding AI and cloud initiatives, reiterating an Outperform rating on the stock. The analyst pointed to IBM's $6 billion-plus generative AI book of business as a foundational strength. The company now supports over 70 AI-infused workflows across areas such as sales, finance, and marketing. Growth is also underpinned by demand for Red Hat and HashiCorp (NASDAQ:HCP) products. Wedbush noted that IBM's hybrid cloud and AI architecture enables continuous innovation, with three-quarters of AI expected to run on containers by 2027. Furthermore, Wedbush's checks suggest continued momentum across IBM's AI agents and WatsonX platform. The broker said customers are increasingly turning to IBM to build and scale AI use cases, while overall buying behavior remains stable. 'The company continues to note that it has not seen any changes in customer buying behavior across its product portfolio,' the analysts wrote. Looking ahead, IBM is also investing in quantum computing. Its roadmap includes the Quantum Starling system and the upcoming Quantum Nighthawk chip, both aimed at enhancing fault tolerance and connectivity. While still early, Ives sees IBM's efforts as part of a broader strategy to lead in a multi-billion-dollar quantum computing market. 'We believe that IBM is well-positioned to capitalize on the current demand shift for hybrid and AI applications with more enterprises looking to implement AI for productivity gains and drive long-term profitable growth,' the note concluded. Related articles Wedbush's Ives raises stock price target on this 'AI winner' Chip equipment stocks fall after US plans to revoke China waivers CubeSmart upgraded, Public Storage cut: BMO shifts preference in storage sector Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
How UFC is employing AI to elevate the fan experience—and give its own workers a leg up on the competition
Action in a UFC mixed martial arts bout is nonstop, so it's easy to miss details when you're watching it live. Fans might not notice how fighters are feinting, changing their in-match strategy, or building up for a big finishing move. UFC has turned to AI to help viewers keep up with every move in real time. At the recent Think Conference hosted by IBM, Alon Cohen, senior vice president of research and development at UFC, spoke with Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures (parent company of Fast Company). The pair discussed how AI is rapidly changing sports entertainment by increasing engagement through unique insights and analysis, as well as how other organizations can harness the technology. Here are three takeaways from their discussion. (Some quotes were edited for clarity and length.) 1. AI helps to tell a better story. When punches, kicks, and takedowns are flying, UFC fans likely aren't focused on counting hand strikes or tracking who has taken positional control on the ground. Capturing that information in real time is no easy task. That's where UFC Insights Engine —a generative AI platform developed collaboratively by UFC and IBM using Watsonx technology—comes in. The platform captures live fight data and translates it into clear analytics, statistical insights, and narratives. This allows fans to better understand rivalries, interpret judging decisions, and gauge who has the upper hand. AI-generated insights are displayed during live broadcasts, on social media, and at event venues, making fights easy to follow, even for casual viewers. 'It drives storylines that are at the core of the most important product that UFC makes,' Cohen said. By delivering expert-level analysis—supported by statistics and AI generated commentary—the UFC Insights Engine contextualizes the action, providing narrative context that reveals what exactly is at stake. Turning raw data into compelling stories helps demonstrate an underdog's comeback, the return-to-form of a long-injured competitor, or the key moments that might shape an aging fighter's legacy. These stories help engage viewers and keep them returning. 2. Workforces need space and time to explore AI technology. While AI is elevating the UFC fan experience to a new level, it's also transforming the work of UFC employees themselves. 'Everybody who is in a proactive role at work has a long hopper of things they wish they could get to,' Cohen said. AI technology is known to help businesses boost efficiency and improve productivity to unlock new areas of growth. But UFC understood that taking a haphazard approach to incorporating it can leave employees as dazed as a post-bout fighter. Cohen pointed out why organizations should take a measured approach to AI rollouts. First, he said, leaders need to think about AI as more than just another new tech tool. The process of adopting AI is different, requiring considerable planning and support across the organization. Without such a disciplined approach, companies run the risk of employees becoming frustrated, stressed, or even resentful of the new technology. AI adoption also demands patience. Early in the rollout process, leaders must provide workers with the space required to explore the technology at their own pace and adapt to how it's being used at the company. In time, this experimentation can help employees learn where AI effectively adds value and where manual processes remain the better approach. 'You've got to give them time and resources,' Cohen said. 'You have to make sure that the tone, from the very top, is that it is safe for you to fail.' 3. AI often works best in the background. Whether in the C-suite or the UFC Octagon, adopting new technology can be a bumpy process. The ultimate goal, Cohen said, is to integrate it so seamlessly that it falls into the background. For example, AI helps to make the gameday experience easy for sports fans as they navigate packed stadiums. Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is reportedly introducing a new free-flow facial authentication system called Go-Ahead Entry—a non-IBM technology—that allows fans to enter the venue without presenting a physical ticket. By registering in advance and submitting a selfie, fans can use a dedicated entry lane for faster, contactless access. Such seamless AI, as Cohen put it, is the kind that will have the biggest impact: 'When you're done, you don't say, 'Wow, gee-whiz, AI!' You just say, 'That experience was so much easier.' '
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
IBM Announces Quantum Milestone
Jerry Chow, IBM Fellow and Director of Quantum Systems at IBM Research, explains the company's latest milestone in its effort to build the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computer. Chow speaks with Caroline Hyde on 'Bloomberg Tech.' (Source: Bloomberg)
Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Here's Why Top Analysts Are Becoming More Bullish on IBM Stock
Tech giant IBM (IBM) recently received two price target hikes as analysts grow more optimistic about the company's transformation and growth outlook. Indeed, Bank of America, led by five-star analyst Wamsi Mohan, raised its price target from $290 to $320, while maintaining a Buy rating. The firm noted that critics still view IBM as a 'value trap' based on its pre-2020 performance. However, it pointed out that the company has significantly evolved over the past five years. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter In fact, the firm is focusing its software segment on higher-growth opportunities through strategic acquisitions and moving away from slower and higher-cost legacy businesses. According to the analyst, this shift now positions IBM to accelerate its revenue growth, which should cause the stock price to continue climbing. At the same time, Evercore ISI raised its price target on IBM from $275 to $315 and kept an Outperform rating. The firm, led by five-star analyst Amit Daryanani, expects IBM to maintain mid-to-high single-digit revenue growth and achieve double-digit growth in earnings per share and free cash flow in the coming years. This would allow IBM to potentially generate $16 to $18 in annual EPS within the next three years. Evercore also pointed to recent improvements in market sentiment and a recent expansion of the market's multiple as key reasons for its increased target. What Is the Target Price for IBM? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on IBM stock based on seven Buys, five Holds, and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average IBM price target of $267.54 per share implies 5.5% downside risk. See more IBM analyst ratings
CNET
4 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Pope Leo XIV Urges Tech Executives to Come Up With an Ethical AI Framework
Pope Leo XIV, who took over leadership of the Catholic Church in May, is revealing one area that he'll be focusing on: artificial intelligence. The Pope has called for tech companies to develop a "superior ethical criterion" against which AI should be evaluated. This message was delivered to tech leaders, including leaders from Google, Meta, OpenAI, and IBM, attending the second annual conference on AI and its ethics in Rome. The framework the Pope is asking for would ensure that AI takes "into account the well-being of the human person not only materially, but also intellectually and spiritually." In the Friday message, the Pope also points to AI's unprecedented and rapid access to information as potentially impacting children's development the most. "Our youth," he said, "must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility." This isn't the first time the Pope has discussed AI; he mentioned it in his first papal address in May. He also recently spoke of the challenges that "call into question respect for the dignity of the human person" in a speech to Italian bishops. Artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, the data economy and social media were all included in that speech. He's not condemning AI outright. There is potential for good, he noted, saying that if used right, AI could "promote greater equality." However, the Pope notes that AI also offers the possibility of "misuse for selfish gain" to "foment conflict and aggression." The Vatican doesn't have any regulatory power, but that hasn't stopped it from being vocal about the ethics of AI. In 2020, the Vatican created the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document about the ethical considerations of AI algorithms. IBM, Qualcomm and Microsoft all signed on, agreeing to abide by the principles. The Pope's firm stance on AI is similar to that of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, who urged that AI be used only to benefit humanity.
