For income-focused shareholders, an imminent date on the calendar commands attention. International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) shares will trade ex-dividend on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Investors must hold the stock before this cutoff to qualify for the upcoming quarterly distribution of $1.68 per share. The payment is scheduled to reach accounts on March 10, 2026. This event continues a corporate legacy few can match: IBM has maintained an unbroken dividend payout streak since 1916.
The company’s recent stock performance shows a recent dip, with shares currently priced around $289.05, reflecting a decline of approximately 6.5% over the past week. Despite this near-term market movement, management’s guidance for the 2026 fiscal year projects currency-adjusted revenue growth exceeding 5%, signaling underlying operational confidence.
Addressing an Impending Skills Crisis with AI
Beyond its reliable shareholder returns, IBM is aggressively executing a strategic pivot to cement its role in the artificial intelligence revolution. The tech giant, evolving from its legacy IT roots, is now deploying its resources to tackle a looming global workforce challenge.
This week, the company announced a significant expansion of its “Impact Accelerator” initiative. The program’s core mission is to leverage AI for education and professional skills development. IBM’s urgency is data-driven: research from the IBM Institute for Business Value indicates that 57% of surveyed executives believe their employees’ current skills will become obsolete by 2030.
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In response, IBM is providing non-profit organizations and government agencies with access to its proprietary technology stack, including the watsonx platform and its suite of Granite AI models. This move strategically frames the company not merely as a vendor of technology, but as an essential partner in navigating large-scale economic transformation.
Solid AI Metrics Amidst Evolving Competition
This workforce development push follows strong fourth-quarter results, where CEO Arvind Krishna reported an “AI Book of Business”—representing the aggregate value of AI consulting and software engagements—surpassing $12.5 billion. This metric has become a primary indicator for tracking IBM’s success in monetizing its artificial intelligence capabilities.
The competitive landscape, however, is intensifying. New entrants like Anthropic are advancing into the market with autonomous AI agents, posing long-term questions about the evolution of traditional consulting frameworks. Market observers note that IBM faces pressure to both defend and adapt its high-margin software and consulting divisions against this next generation of AI tools.
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