Editor's Note: IBM released its fourth-quarter and whole year earnings report Tuesday that showed positive overall results, particularly in light of a challenging economy. Note the results below, however, for the Systems and Technology Group, which we have highlighted. IBM notes the announcement also includes several non-GAAP items. For more information, see http://www.ibm.com/investor.

Summary

Full-Year 2008:

·        Record revenue of $103.6 billion;

·        Record pre-tax profit of $16.7 billion;

·        Record earnings per share of $8.93;

·        Record free cash flow of $14.3 billion, up $1.9 billion, excluding Global Financing receivables.

Full-Year 2009:

·        Earnings-per-share expectation of at least $9.20.

Fourth-Quarter 2008:

·        Diluted earnings of $3.28 per share, up 17 percent;

·        Net income of $4.4 billion, up 12 percent;

·        Gross profit margin of 47.9 percent, up 3 points;

·        Revenue of $27.0 billion, impacted by strong U.S. dollar, down 6 percent, down 1 percent adjusting for currency;

·        Software revenues up 3 percent, up 9 percent adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 15 percent;

·        Global Technology Services revenue down 4 percent, up 3 percent adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 35 percent;

·        Global Business Services revenues down 5 percent, flat adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 26 percent;

·        Services signings of $17.2 billion, 24 deals greater than $100 million;

·        Strategic outsourcing signings up 20 percent worldwide, up 44 percent in North America.

Announcement

IBM today announced fourth-quarter 2008 diluted earnings of $3.28 per share from continuing operations compared with diluted earnings of $2.80 per share in the fourth quarter of 2007, an increase of 17 percent as reported. Fourth- quarter income from continuing operations was $4.4 billion compared with $4.0 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007, an increase of 12 percent. Total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2008 of $27.0 billion decreased 6 percent (1 percent, adjusting for currency) from the fourth quarter of 2007.

"A strong fourth quarter capped an outstanding year. In 2008 IBM performed well in an extremely difficult economic environment. Clearly our strategic transformation --- migrating to the more profitable segments of the industry, investing in growth regions of the world, and driving productivity through global integration --- is continuing to pay dividends," said Samuel J. Palmisano, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer.

"With our strong financial position, solid recurring revenue and profit streams and global reach, we are confident about 2009 and, based on our 2008 performance, we are ahead of pace on our roadmap for $10 to $11 per share."

IBM said that it expects full-year 2009 earnings of at least $9.20 per share.

From a geographic perspective, the Americas' fourth-quarter revenues were $11.5 billion, a decrease of 2 percent (up 2 percent, adjusting for currency) from the 2007 period. Revenues from Europe/Middle East/Africa were $9.5 billion, down 12 percent (1 percent, adjusting for currency). Asia-Pacific revenues decreased 1 percent (1 percent, adjusting for currency) to $5.5 billion. OEM revenues were $615 million, down 31 percent compared with the 2007 fourth quarter. Revenues from the company's growth markets organization decreased 7 percent (up 6 percent, adjusting for currency) and represented 18 percent of geographic revenues.

Total Global Services revenues decreased 4 percent (up 2 percent, adjusting for currency). Global Technology Services segment revenues decreased 4 percent (up 3 percent, adjusting for currency) to $9.6 billion. Global Business Services segment revenues decreased 5 percent (flat, adjusting for currency) to $4.7 billion. IBM signed services contracts totaling $17.2 billion, at actual rates, a decrease of 5 percent ($15.6 billion, adjusting for currency, up 2 percent), including 24 contracts greater than $100 million. Short-term signings were $7.3 billion, a decrease of 7 percent at actual rates (1 percent to $6.6 billion, adjusting for currency). Long-term signings decreased 3 percent, at actual rates, to $9.9 billion (up 3 percent to $9.0 billion, adjusting for currency). The estimated services backlog at December 31 was $117 billion, adjusting for currency.

Revenues from the Software segment were $6.4 billion, an increase of 3 percent (9 percent, adjusting for currency) compared with the fourth quarter of 2007; pre-tax income increased 15 percent. Revenues from IBM's middleware products, which primarily include WebSphere, Information Management, Tivoli, Lotus and Rational products, were $5.2 billion, up 4 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2007. Operating systems revenues of $622 million decreased 6 percent compared with the prior-year quarter.

For the WebSphere family of software products, which facilitate customers' ability to manage a wide variety of business processes using open standards to interconnect applications, data and operating systems, revenues decreased 1 percent. Revenues from Information Management software, which enables clients to leverage information on demand, increased 18 percent. Revenues from Tivoli software, infrastructure software that enables clients to centrally manage networks including security and storage capability, decreased 4 percent, and revenues from Lotus software, which allows collaborating and messaging by clients in real-time communication and knowledge management, was flat year over year. Revenues from Rational software, integrated tools to improve the processes of software development, decreased 1 percent compared with the year-ago quarter.

Revenues from the Systems and Technology segment totaled $5.4 billion for the quarter, down 20 percent (16 percent, adjusting for currency). Systems revenues decreased 18 percent (14 percent, adjusting for currency). Revenues from the converged System p server products increased 8 percent compared with the 2007 period. Revenues from System z mainframe server products decreased 6 percent compared with the year- ago period. Total delivery of System z computing power, which is measured in MIPS (millions of instructions per second), increased 12 percent. Revenues from the System x servers decreased 32 percent, and revenues from the legacy System i servers decreased 92 percent. Revenues from System Storage decreased 20 percent, and revenues from Retail Store Solutions decreased 28 percent. Revenues from Microelectronics OEM decreased 34 percent.

Global Financing segment revenues decreased 1 percent (up 5 percent, adjusting for currency) in the fourth quarter to $660 million.

The company's total gross profit margin was 47.9 percent in the 2008 fourth quarter compared with 44.9 percent in the 2007 period, led by strong performance in both services segments.

Total expense and other income decreased 5 percent to $7.1 billion compared with the prior-year period. Adjusting for currency and estimated acquisitions impacts, total expense and other income decreased 2 percent year over year. SG&A expense decreased 3 percent to $5.8 billion. RD&E expense of $1.5 billion decreased 4 percent compared with the year-ago period. Intellectual property and custom development income increased to $328 million compared with $236 million a year ago. Other (income) and expense was income of $97 million, down $1 million from a year ago. Interest expense decreased to $192 million compared with $214 million in the prior year.

IBM's tax rate in the fourth-quarter 2008 was 23.8 percent compared with 28.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, a decline of 4.2 points due primarily to the utilization of tax credits, including the retroactive benefit of the recently-enacted U.S. research tax credit. The full-year 2008 tax rate was 26.2 percent, and IBM expects its full- year 2009 tax rate to be sustained at approximately 26.5 percent.

The weighted-average number of diluted common shares outstanding in the fourth-quarter 2008 was 1.35 billion compared with 1.41 billion shares in the same period of 2007.

Full-Year 2008 Results

·        Diluted earnings of $8.93 per share, up 24 percent as reported;

·        Total revenues of $103.6 billion, up 5 percent, 2 percent adjusting for currency;

·        Global Technology Services revenues up 9 percent, 6 percent adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 30  percent;

·        Global Business Services revenues up 9 percent, 5 percent adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 30 percent;

·        Software revenues up 11 percent, 8 percent adjusting for currency; pre-tax income up 18 percent.

Income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $12.3 billion compared with $10.4 billion in the year-ago period, an increase of 18 percent. Diluted earnings were $8.93 per share compared with $7.18 per diluted share in 2007, an increase of 24 percent. Revenues from continuing operations for 2008 totaled $103.6 billion, an increase of 5 percent (2 percent, adjusting for currency), compared with $98.8 billion in 2007.

From a geographic perspective, the America's full-year revenues were $42.8 billion, an increase of 4 percent as reported (4 percent, adjusting for currency) from the 2007 period. Revenues from Europe/Middle East/Africa were $37.0 billion, an increase of 7 percent (3 percent, adjusting for currency). Asia-Pacific revenues increased 8 percent (2 percent, adjusting for currency) to $21.1 billion. OEM revenues were $2.7 billion, down 22 percent compared with 2007. Revenues from the company's growth markets organization increased 10 percent (10 percent, adjusting for currency) and represented 18 percent of geographic revenues.

Revenues from the Global Technology Services segment totaled $39.3 billion, an increase of 9 percent (6 percent, adjusting for currency) compared with 2007. Revenues from the Global Business Services segment were $19.6 billion, up 9 percent (5 percent, adjusting for currency). Total services signings were $57.2 billion. Software segment revenues in 2008 totaled $22.1 billion, an increase of 11 percent (8 percent, adjusting for currency). Systems and Technology segment revenues were $19.3 billion, a decrease of 10 percent (11 percent, adjusting for currency). Global Financing segment revenues totaled $2.6 billion, an increase of 2 percent (essentially flat, adjusting for currency).

IBM ended 2008 with $12.9 billion of cash on hand and generated free cash flow of $14.3 billion, up $1.9 billion year over year, excluding Global Financing receivables. The balance sheet remains strong, and the company is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities.

Shares repurchased totaled approximately $10.6 billion on a cash-paid basis in 2008. The weighted-average number of diluted common shares outstanding in 2008 was 1.38 billion compared with 1.45 billion shares in 2007. As of December 31, 2008, there were 1.34 billion basic common shares outstanding.

Debt, including Global Financing, totaled $33.9 billion, compared with $35.3 billion at year-end 2007. From a management segment view, Global Financing debt totaled $24.4 billion versus $24.5 billion at year-end 2007, resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.0 to 1. Non-global financing debt totaled $9.6 billion, a decrease of $1.2 billion since year-end 2007. This decrease coupled with a non-cash adjustment related to year-end pension remeasurements, which is reflected as a reduction in stockholders' equity, resulted in a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 49.0 percent as compared to 30.0 percent at year-end 2007.

Also Read

IBM Study Finds Advancing Women is Not a Top Priority for 70 Percent of Global Organizations Surveyed

IBM Study: 2021 Voluntary Job Changes and Skills Growth on the Rise, Bringing Employer Challenges for Attracting and Ret...

IBM Study: COVID-19 is Accelerating the Skills Gap and Raising Employee Expectations of Their Employers