WallStSmart

International Business Machines (IBM)vsWestern Digital Corporation (WDC)

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Smart Verdict

WallStSmart Research — data-driven comparison

International Business Machines generates 529% more annual revenue ($67.53B vs $10.73B). WDC leads profitability with a 35.6% profit margin vs 15.7%. WDC appears more attractively valued with a PEG of 0.69. IBM earns a higher WallStSmart Score of 70/100 (B-).

IBM

Strong Buy

70

out of 100

Grade: B-

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

WDC

Buy

55

out of 100

Grade: C

Growth: 2.0Profit: 9.0Value: 7.3Quality: 5.0
IV

Intrinsic Value Comparison

Multi-model valuation · Graham Formula

IBMUndervalued (+53.7%)

Margin of Safety

+53.7%

Fair Value

$521.82

Current Price

$241.77

$280.05 discount

UndervaluedFair: $521.82Overvalued
WDCSignificantly Overvalued (-311.2%)

Margin of Safety

-311.2%

Fair Value

$66.57

Current Price

$293.10

$226.53 premium

UndervaluedFair: $66.57Overvalued

Key Strengths & Concerns

Side-by-side fundamental analysis

Key Strengths

IBM5 strengths · Avg: 9.2/10
Market CapQuality
$226.88B10/10

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

WDC4 strengths · Avg: 9.3/10
Return on EquityProfitability
41.1%10/10

Every $100 of equity generates 41 in profit

Profit MarginProfitability
35.6%10/10

Keeps 36 of every $100 in revenue as profit

Market CapQuality
$100.21B9/10

Large-cap with strong market position

PEG RatioValuation
0.698/10

Growing faster than its price suggests

Areas to Watch

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

WDC4 concerns · Avg: 3.0/10
P/E RatioValuation
29.9x4/10

Moderate valuation

Price/BookValuation
14.0x4/10

Trading at 14.0x book value

Revenue GrowthGrowth
-41.0%2/10

Revenue declined 41.0%

EPS GrowthGrowth
-95.9%2/10

Earnings declined 95.9%

Comparative Analysis Report

WallStSmart Research

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.

Bull Case : WDC

The strongest argument for WDC centers on Return on Equity, Profit Margin, Market Cap. Profitability is solid with margins at 35.6% and operating margin at 15.4%. PEG of 0.69 suggests the stock is reasonably priced for its growth.

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.

Bear Case : WDC

The primary concerns for WDC are P/E Ratio, Price/Book, Revenue Growth.

Key Dynamics to Monitor

IBM profiles as a mature stock while WDC is a declining play — different risk/reward profiles.

WDC carries more volatility with a beta of 1.85 — expect wider price swings.

IBM is growing revenue faster at 12.2% — sustainability is the question.

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

Bottom Line

IBM scores higher overall (70/100 vs 55/100), backed by strong 15.7% margins and 12.2% revenue growth. Both earn "Strong 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.

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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Western Digital Corporation

TECHNOLOGY · COMPUTER HARDWARE · USA

Western Digital Corporation (WDC, commonly known as Western Digital or WD) is an American computer hard disk drive manufacturer and data storage company, headquartered in San Jose, California. It designs, manufactures and sells data technology products, including storage devices, data center systems and cloud storage services.

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