02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

IBM RELEASES FOURTH-QUARTER RESULTS

Commerce News
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

IBM today announced fourth-quarter 2023 earnings results.

"In the fourth quarter, we grew revenue in all of our segments, driven by continued adoption of our hybrid cloud and AI offerings. Client demand for AI is accelerating and our book of business for watsonx and generative AI roughly doubled from the third to the fourth quarter," said Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman and chief executive officer. "For the year, revenue growth was in line with our expectations, and we exceeded our free cash flow objective. Based on the strength of our portfolio and demonstrated track record of innovation, for 2024 we expect revenue performance in line with our mid-single digit model and about $12 billion in free cash flow." 

Fourth-Quarter Highlights

  • Revenue
    - Revenue of $17.4 billion, up 4 percent, up 3 percent at constant currency
    - Software revenue up 3 percent, up 2 percent at constant currency
    - Consulting revenue up 6 percent, up 5 percent at constant currency
    - Infrastructure revenue up 3 percent, up 2 percent at constant currency
     
  • Profit Margin
    - Gross Profit Margin: GAAP: 59.1 percent, up 1.4 points; Operating (Non-GAAP): 60.1 percent, up 1.4 points
    - Pre-Tax Income Margin: GAAP: 21.6 percent, up 1.8 points; Operating (Non-GAAP): 24.0 percent, up 1.1 points

Full-Year Highlights

  • Revenue of $61.9 billion, up 2 percent, up 3 percent at constant currency
    - Software revenue up 5 percent
    - Consulting revenue up 5 percent, up 6 percent at constant currency
    - Infrastructure revenue down 5 percent, down 4 percent at constant currency
     
  • Profit Margin
    - Gross Profit Margin: GAAP: 55.4 percent, up 1.4 points; Operating (Non-GAAP): 56.5 percent, up 1.3 points
    - Pre-Tax Income Margin: GAAP: 14.0 percent, up 12.1 points; Operating (Non-GAAP): 16.7 percent, up 0.4 points
     
  • Cash Flow
    - Net cash from operating activities of $13.9 billion, up $3.5 billion; free cash flow of $11.2 billion, up $1.9 billion
 

FOURTH QUARTER 2023 INCOME STATEMENT SUMMARY

 
 

Revenue

 

Gross

Profit

   

Gross
Profit
Margin

   

Pre-tax

Income

 

Pre-tax

Income

Margin

 

Net

Income

 

Diluted

Earnings

Per Share

GAAP from
Continuing
Operations

$   17.4 B

   

$ 10.3 B

   

59.1

%

 

$  3.8 B

   

21.6

%

 

$     3.3 B

   

$     3.54

 

Year/Year

4

%(1)

 

7

%

 

1.4

Pts

 

13

%

 

1.8

Pts

 

14

%

 

13

%

Operating

(Non-GAAP)

     

$ 10.4 B

   

60.1

%

 

$  4.2 B

   

24.0

%

 

$     3.6 B

   

$     3.87

 

Year/Year

     

7

%

 

1.4

Pts

 

9

%

 

1.1

Pts

 

9

%

 

8

%

(1)  3% at constant currency

"We again demonstrated the fundamental strengths of our business in the fourth quarter through solid, broad-based revenue growth, continued profit margin expansion, increased productivity gains and strong cash generation," said James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer. "Throughout 2023, those strengths enabled us to increase our investment in R&D and talent, and complete nine acquisitions to bolster our hybrid cloud and AI capabilities, all while continuing to return value to shareholders through our dividend."

Segment Results for Fourth Quarter

  • Software — revenues of $7.5 billion, up 3.1 percent, up 2.0 percent at constant currency:
    - Hybrid Platform & Solutions up 2 percent, up 1 percent at constant currency:
       -- Red Hat up 8 percent, up 7 percent at constant currency
       -- Automation up 1 percent, flat at constant currency
       -- Data & AI up 1 percent
       -- Security down 5 percent, down 6 percent at constant currency
    - Transaction Processing up 5 percent, up 4 percent at constant currency
     
  • Consulting — revenues of $5.0 billion, up 5.8 percent, up 5.5 percent at constant currency:
    - Business Transformation up 6 percent, up 5 percent at constant currency
    - Technology Consulting up 5 percent, up 4 percent at constant currency
    - Application Operations up 7 percent, up 6 percent at constant currency
     
  • Infrastructure — revenues of $4.6 billion, up 2.7 percent, up 2.0 percent at constant currency:
    - Hybrid Infrastructure up 8 percent, up 7 percent at constant currency
       -- IBM zSystems up 8 percent
       -- Distributed Infrastructure up 8 percent, up 7 percent at constant currency
    - Infrastructure Support down 9 percent
     
  • Financing — revenues of $0.2 billion, up 1.8 percent, up 0.3 percent at constant currency

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet
In the fourth quarter, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $4.5 billion, up $0.5 billion year to year. Net cash from operating activities excluding IBM Financing receivables was $6.3 billion. IBM's free cash flow was $6.1 billion, up $0.9 billion year to year. The company returned $1.5 billion to shareholders in dividends in the fourth quarter.

For the year, the company generated net cash from operating activities of $13.9 billion, up $3.5 billion year to year. Net cash from operating activities excluding IBM Financing receivables was $12.7 billion. IBM's free cash flow was $11.2 billion, up $1.9 billion year to year.

IBM ended the fourth quarter with $13.5 billion of cash and marketable securities, up $4.6 billion from year-end 2022. Debt, including IBM Financing debt of $11.9 billion, totaled $56.5 billion, up $5.6 billion since the end of 2022.

Full-Year 2023 Results

 

FULL-YEAR 2023 INCOME STATEMENT SUMMARY

 
 

Revenue

 

Gross

Profit

   

Gross
Profit
Margin

   

Pre-tax

Income

 

Pre-tax

Income

Margin

 

Net

Income

 

Diluted

Earnings

Per Share

GAAP from
Continuing
Operations

$   61.9 B

   

$ 34.3 B

   

55.4

%

 

$  8.7 B

   

14.0

%

 

$     7.5 B

   

$     8.15

 

Year/Year

2

%(1)

 

5

%

 

1.4

Pts

 

NM(2)

   

12.1

Pts(2)

 

NM(2)

   

NM   

%(2)

Operating

(Non-GAAP)

     

$ 34.9 B

   

56.5

%

 

$ 10.3 B

   

16.7

%

 

$     8.9 B

   

$     9.62

 

Year/Year

     

5

%

 

1.3

Pts

 

5

%

 

0.4

Pts

 

7

%

 

5

%

(1)   3% at constant currency

(2)  GAAP YTY results include the impact of a one-time, non-cash pension settlement charge related to the transfer of a portion of the
company's U.S. defined benefit pension obligations and related plan assets to third-party insurers in third-quarter 2022.

Full-Year 2024 Expectations

  • Revenue: The company expects constant currency revenue growth consistent with its mid-single digit model. At current foreign exchange rates, currency is expected to be about a one-point headwind to revenue growth
  • Free cash flow: The company expects about $12 billion in free cash flow

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the company's current assumptions regarding future business and financial performance. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, the following: a downturn in economic environment and client spending budgets; a failure of the company's innovation initiatives; damage to the company's reputation; risks from investing in growth opportunities; failure of the company's intellectual property portfolio to prevent competitive offerings and the failure of the company to obtain necessary licenses; the company's ability to successfully manage acquisitions, alliances and dispositions, including integration challenges, failure to achieve objectives, the assumption of liabilities and higher debt levels; fluctuations in financial results; impact of local legal, economic, political, health and other conditions; the company's failure to meet growth and productivity objectives; ineffective internal controls; the company's use of accounting estimates; impairment of the company's goodwill or amortizable intangible assets; the company's ability to attract and retain key employees and its reliance on critical skills; impacts of relationships with critical suppliers; product quality issues; impacts of business with government clients; reliance on third party distribution channels and ecosystems; cybersecurity and data privacy considerations; adverse effects related to climate change and environmental matters; tax matters; legal proceedings and investigatory risks; the company's pension plans; currency fluctuations and customer financing risks; impact of changes in market liquidity conditions and customer credit risk on receivables; potential failure of the separation of Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. to qualify for tax-free treatment; risk factors related to IBM securities; and other risks, uncertainties and factors discussed in the company's Form 10-Qs, Form 10-K and in the company's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or in materials incorporated therein by reference. Any forward-looking statement in this release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Presentation of Information in this Press Release
In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding the company's results as determined by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the company has also disclosed in this press release the following non-GAAP information, which management believes provides useful information to investors:

IBM results —

  • adjusting for currency (i.e., at constant currency);
  • presenting operating (non-GAAP) earnings per share amounts and related income statement items;
  • free cash flow;
  • net cash from operating activities excluding IBM Financing receivables;
  • adjusted EBITDA.

The rationale for management's use of these non-GAAP measures is included in Exhibit 99.2 in the Form 8-K that includes this press release and is being submitted today to the SEC.

For watsonx and generative AI, book of business includes Software transactional revenue, SaaS Annual Contract Value and Consulting signings.

Conference Call and Webcast
IBM's regular quarterly earnings conference call is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. ET, today. The Webcast may be accessed via a link at https://www.ibm.com/investor/events/earnings-4q23

. Presentation charts will be available shortly before the Webcast.

Financial Results (certain amounts may not add due to use of rounded numbers; percentages presented are calculated from the underlying whole-dollar amounts).

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

For more information, visit: www.ibm.com.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: