WallStSmart

Booking Holdings Inc (BKNG)vsInternational Business Machines (IBM)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

International Business Machines generates 151% more annual revenue ($67.53B vs $26.92B). BKNG leads profitability with a 20.1% profit margin vs 15.7%. BKNG appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 0.73. BKNG earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 78/100 (B+).

BKNG

Strong Buy

78

out of 100

Grade: B+

Growth: 8.7Profit: 8.0Value: 10.0Quality: 7.5
Piotroski: 4/9Altman Z: 4.05

IBM

Strong Buy

70

out of 100

Grade: B-

Growth: 6.7Profit: 8.0Value: 10.0Quality: 4.0
Piotroski: 3/9Altman Z: 2.29
IV

Intrinsic Value Comparison

Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula

BKNGUndervalued (+45.4%)

Margin of Safety

+45.4%

Fair Value

$7757.57

Current Price

$4237.75

$3519.82 discount

UndervaluedFair: $7757.57Overvalued
IBMUndervalued (+53.7%)

Margin of Safety

+53.7%

Fair Value

$521.35

Current Price

$241.39

$279.96 discount

UndervaluedFair: $521.35Overvalued

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

BKNG6 strengths · Avg: 9.3/10
Operating MarginProfitability
32.5%10/10

Strong operational efficiency at 32.5%

Debt/EquityHealth
-3.4610/10

Conservative balance sheet, low leverage

Altman Z-ScoreHealth
4.0510/10

Safe zone — low bankruptcy risk

Market CapQuality
$138.30B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

Profit MarginProfitability
20.1%9/10

Keeps 20 of every $100 in revenue as profit

PEG RatioValuation
0.738/10

Growing faster than its price suggests

IBM5 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
Market CapQuality
$225.77B10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Return on EquityProfitability
35.2%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 35 in profit

EPS GrowthGrowth
89.9%10/10

Earnings expanding 89.9% YoY

Operating MarginProfitability
24.8%8/10

Strong operational efficiency at 24.8%

Free Cash FlowQuality
$3.13B8/10

Generating 3.1B in free cash flow

Areas to Watch

BKNG2 concerns · Avg: 3.5/10
P/E RatioValuation
25.9x4/10

Moderate valuation

Return on EquityProfitability
2.3%3/10

ROE of 2.3% — below average capital efficiency

IBM3 concerns · Avg: 2.7/10
PEG RatioValuation
2.264/10

Expensive relative to growth rate

Piotroski F-ScoreQuality
3/93/10

Weak financial health signals

Debt/EquityHealth
2.061/10

Elevated debt levels

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

Bull Case : BKNG

The strongest argument for BKNG centers on Operating Margin, Debt/Equity, Altman Z-Score. Profitability is solid with margins at 20.1% and operating margin at 32.5%. Revenue growth of 16.0% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bull Case : IBM

The strongest argument for IBM centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, EPS Growth. Profitability is solid with margins at 15.7% and operating margin at 24.8%. Revenue growth of 12.2% demonstrates continued momentum.

Bear Case : BKNG

The primary concerns for BKNG are P/E Ratio, Return on Equity.

Bear Case : IBM

The primary concerns for IBM are PEG Ratio, Piotroski F-Score, Debt/Equity. Debt-to-equity of 2.06 is elevated, increasing financial risk.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

BKNG profiles as a growth stock while IBM is a mature play — different risk/reward profiles.

BKNG carries more volatility with a beta of 1.23 — expect wider price swings.

BKNG is growing revenue faster at 16.0% — sustainability is the question.

IBM generates stronger free cash flow (3.1B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

BKNG scores higher overall (78/100 vs 70/100), backed by strong 20.1% margins and 16.0% revenue growth. IBM offers better value entry with a 53.7% margin of safety. Both earn "Strong Buy" and "Strong Buy" ratings respectively — the choice depends on your investment horizon and risk tolerance.

This analysis is generated from publicly available financial data. Not financial advice.

Booking Holdings Inc

CONSUMER CYCLICAL · TRAVEL SERVICES · USA

Booking Holdings Inc. is an American travel technology company organized in Delaware and based in Norwalk, Connecticut, that owns and operates several travel fare aggregators and travel fare metasearch engines including namesake and flagship Booking.com, Priceline.com, Agoda.com, Kayak.com, Cheapflights, Rentalcars.com, Momondo, and OpenTable.

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International Business Machines

TECHNOLOGY · INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES · USA

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries. The company began in 1911, founded in Endicott, New York, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and was renamed International Business Machines in 1924. IBM is incorporated in New York. IBM produces and sells computer hardware, middleware and software, and provides hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM is also a major research organization, holding the record for most annual U.S. patents generated by a business (as of 2020) for 28 consecutive years. Inventions by IBM include the automated teller machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, the magnetic stripe card, the relational database, the SQL programming language, the UPC barcode, and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The IBM mainframe, exemplified by the System/360, was the dominant computing platform during the 1960s and 1970s.

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