WallStSmart

Flex Ltd (FLEX)vsInternational Business Machines (IBM)

VS

Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

International Business Machines generates 157% more annual revenue ($68.91B vs $26.83B). IBM leads profitability with a 15.6% profit margin vs 3.2%. FLEX appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 0.94. IBM earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 60/100 (C).

FLEX

Buy

60

out of 100

Grade: C

Growth: 6.0Profit: 6.0Value: 5.3Quality: 6.0
Piotroski: 6/9Altman Z: 2.28

IBM

Buy

60

out of 100

Grade: C

Growth: 5.3Profit: 7.5Value: 4.0Quality: 4.0
Piotroski: 3/9Altman Z: 2.29
IV

Intrinsic Value Comparison

Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula

FLEXUndervalued (+3.5%)

Margin of Safety

+3.5%

Fair Value

$67.21

Current Price

$142.17

$74.96 discount

UndervaluedFair: $67.21Overvalued
IBMSignificantly Overvalued (-29.8%)

Margin of Safety

-29.8%

Fair Value

$178.18

Current Price

$229.76

$51.58 premium

UndervaluedFair: $178.18Overvalued

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

FLEX2 strengths · Avg: 8.0/10
PEG RatioValuation
0.948/10

Growing faster than its price suggests

Revenue GrowthGrowth
16.9%8/10

16.9% revenue growth

IBM3 strengths · Avg: 9.3/10
Market CapQuality
$217.40B10/10

Mega-cap, among the largest globally

Return on EquityProfitability
35.8%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 36 in profit

Free Cash FlowQuality
$4.78B8/10

Generating 4.8B in free cash flow

Areas to Watch

FLEX4 concerns · Avg: 3.0/10
Price/BookValuation
10.2x4/10

Trading at 10.2x book value

Profit MarginProfitability
3.2%3/10

3.2% margin — thin

Debt/EquityHealth
1.093/10

Elevated debt levels

P/E RatioValuation
57.1x2/10

Premium valuation, high expectations priced in

IBM3 concerns · Avg: 2.7/10
PEG RatioValuation
2.114/10

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 : FLEX

The strongest argument for FLEX centers on PEG Ratio, Revenue Growth. Revenue growth of 16.9% demonstrates continued momentum. PEG of 0.94 suggests the stock is reasonably priced for its growth.

Bull Case : IBM

The strongest argument for IBM centers on Market Cap, Return on Equity, Free Cash Flow. Profitability is solid with margins at 15.6% and operating margin at 13.8%.

Bear Case : FLEX

The primary concerns for FLEX are Price/Book, Profit Margin, Debt/Equity. A P/E of 57.1x leaves little room for execution misses. Thin 3.2% margins leave little buffer for downturns.

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

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

FLEX carries more volatility with a beta of 1.45 — expect wider price swings.

FLEX is growing revenue faster at 16.9% — sustainability is the question.

IBM generates stronger free cash flow (4.8B), providing more financial flexibility.

Bottom Line

FLEX scores higher overall (60/100 vs 60/100) and 16.9% revenue growth. Both earn "Buy" and "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.

Flex Ltd

TECHNOLOGY · ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS · USA

Flex Ltd. provides design, engineering, manufacturing and supply chain services and solutions to OEMs in Asia, the Americas and Europe. The company is headquartered in Singapore.

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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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