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IBM Beats Q3 Targets and Lifts Outlook as Shares Fall on Slower Red Hat Growth

Investors fixated on decelerating hybrid cloud momentum, reflecting anxiety about software growth beyond the current mainframe cycle.

Overview

  • IBM reported revenue of $16.33 billion and adjusted EPS of $2.65, topping estimates, and raised full‑year guidance to more than 5% constant‑currency revenue growth and about $14 billion in free cash flow.
  • Growth in the hybrid cloud unit Red Hat slowed to roughly 14% year over year, or about 12% in constant currency, and software revenue rose 10% to $7.21 billion, sending the stock down roughly 5%–7%.
  • Infrastructure revenue climbed 17% to $3.56 billion on strong demand for AI‑optimized mainframes, which IBM said are being widely adopted by financial firms to meet data residency and encryption needs.
  • IBM’s AI book of business expanded to $9.5 billion, up about $2 billion from last quarter, and consulting revenue grew 3% to $5.32 billion with hundreds of active AI projects.
  • Analyst views diverged as Bank of America reiterated a Buy and lifted its price target to $315 while others trimmed targets, and management guided Red Hat toward mid‑teen growth into 2026 and continues to deploy AI using partners such as CoreWeave and the major hyperscalers.