Jefferies has reiterated its Buy rating on International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) and maintained a $370.00 price target amid market anxiety that artificial intelligence code assistants could prompt rapid changes to legacy COBOL workloads. The broker emphasized that IBM is actively addressing those risks through technology that integrates generative AI directly into mainframe environments.
At the center of Jefferies' argument is watsonx Code Assistant for Z, a tool designed to operate inside the mainframe and refactor COBOL into Java while modernizing applications using a full view of system context. The firm presented the product as a direct countermeasure to the scenario in which external AI code tools might simplify migration away from traditional mainframe stacks.
IBM shares opened trading at $233.67 in recent quotes, a decline of 24% year-to-date. Jefferies underscored that the company’s software reacceleration is tied less to the fate of mainframe operations alone and more to momentum across several enterprise vectors - hybrid cloud, AI, automation, and data - which together will drive demand for modernized software assets.
Valuation metrics cited in the analysis include a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.88 and a notably low price/earnings-to-growth ratio of 0.27. Independent analysis flagged in the coverage indicated that the shares appear undervalued relative to an assessed Fair Value, putting IBM on a list of most undervalued opportunities based on those comparisons.
The reaffirmation of the Buy rating followed renewed market attention from Anthropic, which raised concerns that AI code assistants could materially affect legacy COBOL workloads. That commentary had been among the drivers of recent pressure on IBM shares.
Jefferies kept a constructive view on IBM’s strategic positioning in the enterprise software market. The firm’s stance sits alongside a range of broker actions: Evercore ISI reiterated an Outperform rating and kept a $345 price target despite the recent drop in shares, while Erste Group moved to downgrade IBM to a Hold from Buy, citing expectations of slower growth in the company’s infrastructure business.
Erste Group also noted management’s outlook for fiscal 2026, including a forecast of 5% year-over-year sales growth and an anticipated increase in free cash flow to about $15.7 billion. Those forward-looking figures are part of the contrasting perspectives shaping analyst views on near-term momentum and capital generation.
Beyond analyst commentary, IBM announced a collaboration with Deepgram to add voice AI capabilities into its watsonx Orchestrate offering. Deepgram is identified as the first voice partner for the product, with the integration intended to enhance user interaction through natural speech interfaces.
In separate corporate results that add context for enterprise software and cloud demand, Confluent, Inc. reported fourth-quarter results that beat expectations. The company delivered revenue of $314.8 million, above the consensus estimate of $308.06 million, marking a 21% year-over-year increase. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.12, versus an analyst estimate of $0.10. Confluent also reported subscription revenue growth of 20% year-over-year and Confluent Cloud revenue growth of 23%.
Taken together, the broker commentary, valuation signals, vendor partnerships, and third-party earnings paint a mixed but actionable picture for investors assessing IBM. Jefferies' recommendation rests on the view that internally embedded modernization tools, coupled with broader enterprise momentum in hybrid cloud and AI, will support IBM’s software trajectory even as legacy modernization debates continue to influence sentiment.
Contextual note: This article synthesizes analyst ratings, valuation metrics, partnership announcements, and related earnings results to outline the current debate around IBM's modernization pathway and investor positioning.