[Form 4] INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP Insider Trading Activity
Michael Miebach, a director of International Business Machines Corp (IBM), reported on Form 4 that on 09/30/2025 he elected to defer director fees into Promised Fee Shares under IBM's Board of Directors Deferred Compensation and Equity Award Plan. The deferral converted fees into 324 shares at an indicated per-share price of $282.16. After the transaction, he beneficially owns 3,204 shares directly. The Promised Fee Shares are payable after retirement and the distribution is deferred until that time, per the plan terms; the filing does not state the dollar value of the deferred fee beyond the per-share price or the retirement date.
- Alignment with shareholders: Director elected to receive deferred compensation in company stock, promoting long-term alignment.
- Increased direct ownership: Director's beneficial ownership rose by 324 shares to 3,204 shares.
- None.
Insights
TL;DR: Director deferred compensation into equity, increasing direct ownership modestly; standard governance practice with no immediate liquidity impact.
This Form 4 reports a routine election by a board director to defer cash fees into promised common stock payable at retirement. The transaction increases the director's direct ownership by 324 shares to 3,204 shares, aligning his compensation with shareholder interests and promoting long-term alignment. There is no exercise of options, sale, or change in control indicators. The filing provides the per-share price used ($282.16) but does not disclose the timing of payment beyond the plan's retirement trigger, which is typical for deferred-fee arrangements.
TL;DR: Materiality is low; transaction is an internal deferral of director fees into equity and is unlikely to affect IBM's valuation.
The deferral of fees into 324 Promised Fee Shares represents a modest ownership increase relative to a large-cap like IBM. This is a non-cash, non-marketable compensation deferral that becomes relevant only upon the director's retirement when shares or cash will be delivered. No derivative instruments, option exercises, or dispositions were reported. For investors, this is a governance signal rather than a financial catalyst; the filing lacks details on the total deferred dollar amount or retirement horizon, limiting further impact assessment.