Top IBM Shareholders

By
Nathan Reiff
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Nathan Reiff has been writing expert articles and news about financial topics such as investing and trading, cryptocurrency, ETFs, and alternative investments on Investopedia since 2016.
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Updated May 22, 2023
Reviewed by Margaret James

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) primarily generates revenue today through consulting, infrastructure, and software.

IBM was founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R). But the computer giant traces its roots back to the 1880s. During that decade, Dr. Alexander Dey invented the first dial recorder for his business, while a second enterprise, Bundy Manufacturing, became the first time-recording company. Both companies became key building blocks of C-T-R.

More recently, IBM has become a global information technology company focused on software, cloud computing, and consulting services.

The top shareholders of IBM are Arvind Krishna, Michelle H. Browdy, James J. Kavanaugh, Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corp. Below, take a closer look at them.

Key Takeaways

  • International Business Machines, better known as IBM, is one of the largest and most successful technology companies in the world.
  • IBM was a pioneer in computing, developing technology that led to personal computing.
  • The company is part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.
  • Its largest individual shareholders are Arvind Krishna, Michelle H. Browdy, and James J. Kavanaugh; all employees of IBM.
  • Its largest institutional shareholders are Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corp

Top 3 Individual Insider Shareholders

The shareholders listed below have direct ownership. This list does not include indirect ownership of shares or shares accessible through stock options.

"Insider" refers to people in senior management positions and members of the board of directors, as well as people or entities that own more than 10% of the company's stock. In this context, "insider" has nothing to do with insider trading.

Arvind Krishna

Arvind Krishna owns 278,637 shares of IBM as of Feb. 21, 2023, representing 0.053% of all outstanding company shares. Krishna is CEO of IBM, after serving as Senior Vice President of Cloud and Cognitive Software, IBM’s fastest-growing business. He also headed IBM Research.

Krishna has been a key driver of IBM’s push into cloud computing in recent years, and as head of IBM Research, he guided the company through developments in blockchain, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing technologies. Krishna was a major architect of IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat.

Michelle H. Browdy

Michelle H. Browdy owns 113,542 shares of IBM as of Feb. 21, 2023, representing 0.02% of all outstanding shares. Browdy is Senior Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, and General Counsel. Prior to that, from 2012 to 2014, she served as Secretary to IBM's Board of Directors.

Before that role, she was IBM's worldwide head of litigation, where she was responsible for overseeing IBM's intellectual property and global litigation.

James J. Kavanaugh 

James J. Kavanaugh owns 90,955 shares of IBM as of Feb. 21, 2023, representing 0.017% of all outstanding shares. Since 2018, Kavanaugh has been Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of IBM, overseeing the company’s global financial operations. In these roles, he also leads the company’s Global Financing business. Kavanaugh joined IBM in 1996 and has held a variety of financial leadership roles for the company, including Vice President of Finance for the Americas Group and IBM EMEA.

From 2008 to 2015, he was IBM’s Controller, and from 2015 to 2018, he was Senior Vice President, Transformation & Operations. In his current role, he continues to oversee Transformation & Operations, leading the company in aligning its operating model with fundamental industry shifts. Prior to IBM, Kavanaugh was the chief financial officer for the Americas Global Services unit at AT&T Corp.

Top 3 Institutional Shareholders

Institutional investors hold the majority of IBM shares at 56.93% of the total shares outstanding.

Vanguard Group Inc. 

As of March 31, 2023, Vanguard Group owns 81.2 million shares of IBM, representing 15.7% of total shares outstanding. The company is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), which tracks a market-cap-weighted index of IT companies, owns IBM. The company represents about 1.34% of the fund's portfolio. This is not the only Vanguard fund that holds IBM.

BlackRock Inc.

As of March 31, 2023, BlackRock owns 71.6 million shares of IBM, representing 13.9% of total shares outstanding. The company is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company. The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE), which invests in undervalued large- and mid-cap companies, owns IBM. IBM is the fourth-largest holding at 2.53% of the fund's portfolio. This is not the only BlackRock fund that holds IBM.

State Street Corp. 

As of March 31, 2023, State Street owns 53.5 million shares of IBM, representing 10.3% of total shares outstanding. State Street manages mutual funds, ETFs, and other investments. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA), which tracks a price-weighted index of 30 large-cap U.S. stocks, holds IBM. IBM represents 2.51% of the fund's holdings. This is not the only State Street fund that holds IBM.

Is IBM Publicly Owned?

Yes, IBM is a publicly owned company and is on both the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500.

What Is the Share Holding Pattern of IBM?

IBM is primarily held by institutional investors. In fact, of its 516,951,054 shares outstanding, 56.93% is held by 2,574 institutional holders.

Who Owns the Majority of Shares of IBM?

Vanguard Group is the largest shareholder of IBM, holding 15.7% of total shares outstanding as of March 31, 2023.

The Bottom Line

IBM is a large, multinational technology company that is also one of the oldest. The company pioneered personal computers and concentrates its business on hardware, software, and middleware. As one of the companies on the DJIA and the S&P 500, it is an important investment for many institutional investors.

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  13. ETF.com. “VLUE iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF.”

  14. ETF.com. "DIA SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust."